


The Dimension Stone

by Cenobia100



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Friendship, M/M, Multi, Pokemon have Human names, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-03-09 21:37:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 59,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18925468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cenobia100/pseuds/Cenobia100
Summary: Ewan is a human turned Mudkip, brought into the world of Pepromena by an unseen force. After teaming up with a Treecko called Ozzy, the duo try to find out the secrets of Ewan's past but unknowingly stumble upon a plot that could threaten everything as they know it, and at the heart of it all, a relic known as the Dimension Stone.(I wrote this summary in 2014 and I refuse to change it, fight me)





	1. Fated Meeting

**Chapter 1 - Fated Meeting**

* * *

**Mysterious Clearing**

_The first thing I can sense is the distant rustling of leaves, their crinkling filling the air, a simple breeze floating past me, the hissing of the wind as everything began to intensify. I can feel the air rushing around me, whirling around my body as a faint cry of pain whimpered from my hoarse throat. I try to stand, feeling rough dirt and grimy earth beneath my feet. The smell of morning dew hits me, like I'm spread out in an emerald sea of grass, but before I can focus, I feel my senses beginning to shut down. My eyes blink, trying to keep myself from falling unconscious again._

_I begin to feel the slight pitter-patter of rain dripping down from the heavens, a large blanket of dark grey clouds looming above me. My vision begins to blur once more, a cracking thunderous white light cascading down from above as thunder and lightning began to strike one after the other, droplets of water falling faster and faster. I feel my eyes slide shut as a river of light blue washes over me, forcing me down into the darkness, covering me in a blanket of sleep._

_And then the blue was gone, leaving Darkness._

* * *

**Everglade Path**

"Hmmm, now which way was it again?"

The sound of soft footsteps on a gravel path, the thump of something hitting the floor, and the annoyed pains of one who had just fallen onto the ground. That was what could be heard in the Everglade Forest that day. For, one traveller was walking along the road, avoiding rocks that had implanted themselves in the path forwards, and had long since just become an obstacle for the curious adventurer to overcome. Paper began to rustle as the traveller began to fumble with a large map, trying to find his way, yet failing.

This traveller was different to your ordinary run-of-the-mill adventurer though. He was small, smaller than a person, reaching up to a fully grown human's stomach in height. His skin was coated in green scales, although the light green blended the scales in so well, that you could hardly tell there were any indentations. There was a small leather pouch hanging from the waist of the traveller, the waist being a soft orange and red colour, faint lines going through the underbelly, like a pattern. Piercing green eyes gazed out into the wilderness, and as the traveller came out into a small clearing on the path, his head seemed to curve at the top, making a slight heart shaped indentation.

This person was known, in the World of Humans, as a Pokémon, an entire species of animals that had evolved to learn natural powers. Hundreds had been discovered, and over eighteen different types had been found. This Pokémon was known as a Treecko, a Tree Gecko, a Pokémon that had the power over the elements of plants due to the species mastery of the grass typing. He was mainly used to battle against other trainers, but that was in the human world. Here, in the World of Pokemon, he's a teenager verging on adulthood, a young man looking to follow his dreams.

"There should be a sign around here," The Treecko sighed, walking to the opposite side of the clearing, ignoring the sunlight that was slowly burning down his back. He held his hands to his hips for a moment, giving a small scan of his surroundings unable to see a single wooden signpost, eventually looking down at the ground in defeat.

"I'll never find Coral Town at this rate," He groaned, the Gecko flopping to the floor, landing in a sitting position, dust rising up into the air, as the Pokémon thought about his next move.

You see, this Pokémon here was travelling around the region, and his next stop was a small seaside village called Coral Town. It sat in between the forest and the edge of a pristine ocean, but the forest was known for its trickery, and many a Pokémon were lost under the eaves of the everglades.

Looking up, the Pokémon saw that some white clouds had just come in across some of the distant mountains to the North back the way he had came. Looking at the soft and velvety clouds, he could not help but smile. It was a rather beautiful sight, a bright blue sky, a few white clouds to make sure it didn't get too heated on the surface, and of course, for those Pokémon that lived near such lands, a meadow or a field to just lay down at, maybe underneath the shadow of a tree, just watching the days go by without a care in the world. That was a pasttime he could certainly have gotten behind when he was younger.

But that was for the lazy, for those that did not want to experience what life had to offer them.

The Treecko hopped up, not wanting to waste any more time than he had. He had not gone on this trip to sightsee, he had gone to become stronger, to discover new places, to find valuable treasures. This Treecko wanted to explore the vast reaches of the region, become a legend that would be spoken of for a long time, that was his dream; but it was also his wildest fantasy.

Beginning, yet another trek down the path into the Everglade Forest, the Pokémon thought about his own problems. He was shy, but he was determined. He wasn't very strong, but that was why he needed to train, to become stronger. He wanted to be remembered... But he was nothing more than a simple forest Treecko, with big dreams and little grasp of reality. Dreams came true all the time in the stories he was told as a young lizard... But the world wasn't a story to be read.

Looking back up at the sky, the Treecko tensed up, noticing that the sky had gotten much cloudier. There was still a blue sky, but some of the soft clouds he had seen, mere minutes before, had become darker, more visible to the eye. This was not good for the grass type who knew exactly what the clouds meant and as determined as he was he knew he would not make it to Coral Town during the middle of a storm.

Yes, the clouds were darkening, coming from across the mountains where the weather was always wet and rainy, the Cold North, the opposite of the Warm South. The climate there was perfect for those Pokémon seeking to train their body and mind, but the training was heavy, and the toll it took on you was unbearable. The Treecko could not survive up there on his own, and that is why he came south. To seek training from a different source...

As the first droplets of rain began to drop from the canopy, the forest Gecko took another moment to look at his surroundings. None of the trees looked very inviting to rest in, nor were they inhabitable by any means, and he should know. He had lived in the trees for most of his life, after all. The home he left behind to pursue this career and the family along with it, he could just imagine them now, huddled up inside one of the many hollowed tree trunks that they called home, waiting for their son to return and realize his mistakes, or so they wanted him to feel.

Brushing off his family for the moment, the Treecko continued to walk, eyes darting left and right for anything.

"I need to find shelter," The Pokémon groaned silently to himself, finally letting his thoughts take control of the matter at hand. He needed to find where the trees were densest, wanting to avoid any stray bolts of thunder, as well as the constant pounding of the rain. At least he can alleviate the water somewhat, he'd be able to think, maybe even catch his bearings.

Finalle spotting a large forested area to his left, the Treecko darted into the trees, jumping over the trunks skilfully as the rain began to fall down hard, no longer a light sprinkle but a heavy shower, the sound of the rain hitting the floor becoming nullified as the Treecko got used to it.

A sudden flash of light and he felt himself trip forwards, blinded for a moment as his leg caught itself on a stray root. But he didn't stop there, feeling himself sliding down a small hillside, curling up as he slammed into trees and rocks, attempting to minimize the pain. And then he felt his breath leave his chest as he slammed hard into the trunk of a tree.

"Gah!" He cried out, eyes widened in pain.

The rain continued to hammer down as the Treecko slowly unwrapped itself from its position on the tree, wincing as he flopped on to the soggy earth, slightly dazed as he looked around. Trees were all around him as far as the eye could see. The hill he had fallen down was too steep to climb back up in the rain, the muddy terrain being the least of his problems now. He could feel a cut on his leg and looking down a small trail of blood was dripping from a scratch.

"That smarts..." He groaned, pulling himself up into a standing position. The cut throbbed for a moment with pain but then slowly began to calm down and the Gecko finally got into a small walking speed. Wherever he was walking to, he knew one thing. "I really need shelter..."

Pushing through some branches, he was surprised to see a faint light emanating from behind some trees, just a few paces away. Stepping closer, curiosity got the better of him and he quickly hopped over to the trees, peering through the tree-line and into a small clearing.

It was grassy clearing, untouched by the rocky roads above, a few small yellow flowers also dotting the clearing in a way that seemed to contrast with the dark forest. And then, past the flowers, there was something else. Something like a small bundle, blue in colour... "What the-?"

The Treecko hopped into the clearing, feeling the rain dripping down onto his shoulders and he let out a shiver before continuing on towards the blue object; except it was not an object at all, because as he got closer to the blue thing, he realized that it was moving, up and down, breathing in and out. With a startling clarity, he realized it had to be a fainted Pokemon!

The Treecko was by its side in a second, darting over to see what had happened. The Pokémon was laid out across the grass in a ball shape. As the Gecko looked down at it, he saw bright orange cheeks, three small spikes on both cheeks, and it made him jump for a moment. Slightly nervous, he tapped the unconscious Pokémon, seeing if he could get a reaction, and he saw the light blue fin on its head move, twitching!

"Uh - Hello?"

Another twitch, and then the breathing became faster, and as the Treecko peered closer trying to see if the Pokémon was okay, he was greeted with two confused light aqua blue eyes staring straight back at him.

"Waaaaa!" The Treecko cried out, jumping backwards, falling over his feet, tripping backwards onto the grass with a wet thud.

The mystery Pokémon looked over to the Treecko, eyes glowing slightly as it picked itself up off of the floor, wincing as it did so. And as it stood up, the Forest Gecko got a good look at the species of Pokémon it was. Other than the head fin, and the orange spiky cheeks, it had a pale blue underbelly, walked on four legs, and had a pale blue tail fin. I flicker of recognition passed across the green eyes of the Treecko, and he looked at the Pokémon in surprise.

"W-where am I?" The mystery Pokémon groaned, eyes droopily looking around.

"Y-You're in the Everglade Forest," The Treecko stuttered, slowly stepping away from the new Pokémon, shuddering slightly as it looked in his eyes. "I found you passed out."

The Pokémon just looked at him, confusion etched across his face. "Everglade For-" And then it paused, eyes widening, the blue Pokémon stepping backwards, tripping over its back feet.

"Are you okay?" The green Pokémon questioned, taking a cautious step towards the other, who was now lying on the floor, staring straight up at the sky, shaking tremendously.

Within moments, the Pokémon bounced up off of the ground, eyes catching sight of the Treecko, before shouting, "A talking Pokémon! Y-Y-you're t-t-talking!?" Taking another step back, the Pokémon looked around, fear embedded in his eyes. "How is this happening? Pokémon can't talk, right? I must be dreaming!? Yeah, that's it! Definitely dreaming!"

At that, the Treecko found himself a little creeped out. Had he found some kind of nutcase or something?

"Speak for yourself," The Treecko replied, pointing back at the blue Pokemon with hostility. "You're a Mudkip and you're talking too, you're being a bit of a hypocrite."

The Mudkip then stopped, looking over at the Treecko with a clear look of confusion on his face. "I'm not a Mudkip, I'm a human being!" The Mudkip shouted, his voice giving away a distressed tone.

"Are you nuts or something? You're clearly a Mudkip, you've got the orange cheeks and everything." The Treecko explained as the Mudkip turned his head to look at his body, and he just froze there for a moment, the Treecko watching with his own sense of confusion, his mind racing to figure out what was going on.  _'Oh god, he must be an escaped lunatic or something! He is definitely not a human, I mean, they haven't been seen for years and here this Mudkip is, pretending to be a human... Oh man, I need to get out of here!'_

"I... I've really turned into a Mudkip," The blue water type gasped, causing the Treecko to snap out of his thoughts. "But I can't remember anything... My head, it hurts so much..."

"You must be delusional," The Gecko announced, turning away from the Mudkip. "Please, just keep away. You're really freaking me out!"

The Mudkip turned around at those words, looking straight at the Treecko, head tilted slightly, eyes raised in disbelief. "You think I freak you out, Mr Treecko. Well, try waking up in the middle of a damned forest as a Mudkip, who can't remember how he got here!" The Mudkip raged, angrily turning away before trying to take a step in the opposite direction, legs buckling slightly.

"I have a name you know! It's Ozzy! Not Mr Treecko!" The Treecko named Ozzy growled, huffing as he also turned away from the Mudkip, both of them now steaming with anger.

"Well my name's Ewan then, and I am a human!" The Mudkip, known as Ewan, shouted, before pausing for a moment. "Or at least... I was."

As Ewan turned to look at Ozzy again, he was surprised to see that the Treecko had actually vanished, and he silently sighed, looking down at the grass with a mixture of confusion and irritation.

_'Why can't I remember anything? I mean, I know I was a human. I don't know how, but I do, I just have a feeling... And now I'm a Mudkip? That doesn't even make any sense! And it doesn't help that I don't have hands, just four paws! How am I supposed to feel about all of this? Talk about an out of body experience... And that guy just ups and leaves me like that, what the hell?'_

Looking up in an attempt to maybe locate that Treecko, Ewan's eyes noticed the dark clouds hanging in the air, and the rain was steadily getting worse and worse. A sudden rattling of the teeth, and the Mudkip knew he needed to ask questions later, find some shelter now, or else he'll freeze to death in the rain.

Moving his front left paw, he tried to move his front right paw, but he felt himself trip forwards onto the grass again. Looking backwards, he saw the source of his problem.  _'Right, I have back legs now...'_  Lifting both his front left leg, and his back left leg, he moved them forwards, doing the same with the right legs, letting his paws touch upon the grass. It was a weird feeling, but he needed to get used to it or he'd be stuck in the rain for hours. And even if he was a water type Pokemon now, there was no guarentee that would help him in his state.

After adjusting himself to a slow walk, Ewan began to pace over to the tree line, noticing a strange feeling on his head. Shaking his head slightly, he could feel something attached to him, a fin, sitting there as if it were the most normal thing imaginable. "And I have a fin now, great..."

He felt himself trip over his feet again, smacking his head on the rough bark of a tree, grunting as he felt the familiar throb of pain that just refused to give him a break.

Suddenly, he felt something hit the ground nearby him, a flash of light blocking his view for a moment, and when he turned to see the problem, the charred grass that had been hit made him tremble, as if something was terrifying him to the core. And glancing up once more, he realized...

It was lightning.

* * *

"Who does that guy think he is?" Ozzy grumbled, moving his pouch around his waist so that it wouldn't be soaked by the rain. The canopy of the tree leaves finally managed to give him some cover, but not nearly enough to last the night, though his mind was too busy being focused on that Mudkip in the clearing.

_'That guy has to be psycho crazy, I mean, since when did Pokémon think they were humans? It just doesn't make sense! Why am I still thinking about this anyway? I have to find shelter! Yeah, shelter, that's it! Just stay focused on what's important...'_

Continuing his pathway through the mud, he tried to forget about the Mudkip, and instead focus on his own quest, his quest to become stronger, and to help out Pokémon in need! That was his dream after all, and he couldn't follow his dream if he got caught in the storm...

And then it all smacked into his head like a ton of breaks as he turned around, looking back in the direction of the clearing.

_'That Mudkip, he may be nuts, but he needs help. Isn't that what I have to do? Help Pokémon in need? But then - what am I doing running away!? I need to go help that guy before he hurts himself!'_

Taking off in the direction of the clearing, he could see that the loud booms and bright flashes of thunder were getting worse the closer he got to the clearing, and as he came across the tree-line he bounded out into the grass noticing that the Mudkip was no longer where he was before. The grass seemed to have been crushed, wilted and bent down, meaning the Mudkip had to have walked somewhere, or at least tried to given he didn't seem too sure of his ability to walk.

Another flash of light and a sizzling sound to his right caused him to turn, noticing the burned up grass that was mere paces away from him. Looking up, the rain fell around the sides of his vision, and a bright flash of light illuminated the sky. ` _Since when had lightning been striking down here?`_

And then he heard the whimpering, just a faint sound, coming along the wind to meet him. It sounded quiet, but the unmistakable fear in its tone was there. Turning to his left, the small blue form of the Mudkip came into view, huddled against a tree, shaking tremendously. For a moment, Ozzy just stood there confused, but when another flash lit up the sky, he noticed the Mudkip tense.

"He's afraid of the lightning, duh," Ozzy said relieved, mentally slapping himself for his stupidity. "Water types don't like electricity..."

Taking some steps towards the tree, he saw the Mudkip still curled up, not wanting to move away from his position. "Hey? Mudkip... Uh, I mean, Ewan?" Ozzy called out, taking a few more steps towards the other Pokemon, who uncurled for a moment, Ozzy looking straight into the blue eyes of the scared boy. "Come on, I'm sorry for what I pulled back there, I want to help, if you'll let me."

Ewan nodded for a moment, Ozzy now just a few paces from him, holding out his paw for Ewan to take. Gladly, Ewan moved one of his paws to grasp the one Ozzy held out, but just as they made contact, another flash of light lit up the skies and this time Ewan saw it coming.

The lightning, blue and yellow, white and pure, slashed through the air, slicing down towards the two of them, the Treecko not even noticing the oncoming burst of electric energy. In a quick flash, there was a sizzle, and scream, and then a burning smell filled the clearing. Ozzy, now face down on the ground, quickly jumped up, ready to shout at Ewan, when his words fell short, and his mouth went dry.

Ewan sat there, face down on the ground, black charred marks across his back. Some of his skin had been penetrated by the shock wave, and his breathing was hitched in pain. Quickly moving over to the Mudkip, Ozzy began to call out for the creature in earnest. "Ewan, come on - don't do this to me, okay? Just stay breathing and I'll, uh, I'll think of something! Just keep yourself awake, or alive - I mean-" Ozzy slammed the ground with his paw in frustration, fear clouding his own thoughts, as he realized he could not do anything where they were.

"I don't have a choice..." Ozzy whispered to himself, moving to Ewan's side. "Okay, Mudkip, I'm going to carry you, just - just keep alive!" Slipping his paws underneath the rather heavy Mudkip, he managed to lift Ewan up, before slinging him over his shoulder. And then, with that, he began to trudge back into the forest.

"That hit, that must have hurt him badly, being a water type..." Ozzy winced as he thought of the burn marks, letting beads of sweat drop from his forehead. As he looked back up into the canopy of the trees, he began to notice the sky lightening up. Had the rain done enough damage to them and decided to leave? Or was it sheer dumb luck? Whatever it was, if the rain had still been there, Ozzy would have given up hope of saving Ewan.

It must have been minutes later, when finally, he felt the warm heat of the sun on his neck, and he smiled for a moment, his vigour returning, giving one last burst of hope to get out of this damned forest and to Coral Town! He had to make it there! To save the Mudkip from his injuries!

His knees buckled slightly as he began a slight descent in terrain, and as his eyes got used to the lighter vision with the sun shining, even noticing that the trees were thinning. The bark around the trees was becoming a lot browner, healthier, and lighter too. The trees were growing smaller, and then he heard something that made him smile. The sound of water, just faint and in the distance, but it was the sound of crashing water, an ocean!

"We're almost there Ewan, keep it together, just don't faint on me," The Treecko consoled, the Mudkip giving a loud groan in pain as he was jerked forwards slightly by a root. And then, moment by moment, the Mudkip's eyes fell shut, and as Ozzy noticed this, his speed increased, but by that point, the world of the Mudkip had grown dark, and only an abyss of sleep was before him.

* * *

**Abyss**

_"Is he gonna be okay?"_

_"The burns are rather serious, but nothing a few days of rest and some burn heal won't fix."_

_"So he's going to live then?"_

_"Of course he's going to live. Just gotta give him time to recover, especially from an injury like a bolt of lightning."_

_"Thank goodness... You hear that Ewan, you'll be fine! You'll be okay... Just rest now, I'll be here when you wake up..."_


	2. Mysterious World

**Chapter 2 - Mysterious World**

* * *

**Coral Town**

The first feeling Ewan felt upon his eyes blinking open was a rather dull throbbing pain in his skull, followed by the sudden blinding light coming from somewhere above him. It was almost like he'd been trapped inside of a dark room for a long period of time, only to suddenly have the lights switched on and overload his senses. Quickly, he covered his eyes with whatever he could, glancing downwards while blinking rapidly in an attempt to get used to the change.

Finally, he felt his eyes focus, glancing around to figure out where he was.

He was in a small circular wooden bedroom of sorts, with a large circular window to his right, where the sunlight was creeping in. Just based on the warm yellow glow, he had to assume it was mid-morning, though he couldn't be sure unless he got up himself to take a look. There was also a bedside desk next to him, as well as a small bookcase in the corner of the room, next to a large oak door, which he assumed led outside.

This didn't look like any hotel he imagined he'd been to in his lifetime, though how he got here was a mystery.

The last thing he remembered was waking up in a forest an-

Ewan's eyes widened, everything coming back to him in a flash of surprise, the Mudkip glancing down at his body to see, not a human pair of arms and legs, but a scaley amphibious Mudkip body. "Still a Pokemon, great..." He muttered to himself, both confused and mildly worried.

It definitely felt weird, being able to feel the fin on his head, and he had a tail now. An actual tail!?

It was then, while he was having his brief existential crisis, that he noticed a slip of white on the window sill by the circular hole in the wall. Curiosity took hold and he quickly moved to go check on the paper, only to find his feet tangled up, tripping forwards onto the ground.

Glancing backwards, he cursed his hind legs, still not used to the whole, walking on four legs thing, before attempting to walk towards the window again, this time with more success than previously. After a few precarious steps forward, he found himself looking at a small slip of paper sitting on the window.

He could see weird footprints on the paper, though he couldn't tell what they were saying. Whatever language the Pokemon of this world used to chat with, he definitely didn't understand it.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to give the paper a look over.

Reaching out with one of his front paws, he attempted to grab the paper, though he only succeeded in knocking the paper from the window sill, the white letter sliding away from him towards the floor by the doorway.

"Seriously?" He muttered to himself, cursing his lack of skill with this new Mudkip form of his.

Though as he attempted to shuffle his way to where the paper was sitting, that was when he heard a rather loud creaking, followed by the sound of the door to the room swinging open.

And at that moment, Ewan couldn't help but feel embarrassed, glancing down to see he wasn't wearing any clothing. Though that Treecko from the forest wasn't wearing anything either. Do Pokemon even need to wear clothes? Do they feel no shame?

Either way, he had no time to react as the door swung open and in came a rather large Pokemon. It was egg-shaped but extremely round and way taller than Ewan. It's bright pink skin was the first notable aspect of the creature, followed by the somewhat stubby feet and arms that looked more stylish than functional. There was a rather large white egg in a pouch on its stomach, but Ewan's eyes were drawn to the creature's beady eyes and the massive smile on its face, while its head was surrounded by what he could only describe as adorable pink dreadlocks.

Though the absolute happy look on the creature's face made Ewan feel extremely unnerved. Though that smile turned to surprise when they saw he was up. "Oh, you're awake! How wonderful!" He couldn't say he was surprised to find out this Pokemon was a woman, though her kindly voice only served to further unnerve him. She seemed so nice, he was half-expecting an ulterior motive.

"We didn't think you'd be up for another few days," She continued to ramble, walking up to him while examining him for any wounds. "Thunderbolts can be quite painful for water types like yourself, after all."

"Uh, sorry to interrupt but where am I? And sorry if I sound rude but what exactly are you?" Ewan blurted out, much to the Pokemon's surprise.

"Why, have you never seen a Chansey before?" The Pokemon, now identified as a Chansey, explained.

"No, sorry," Ewan shook his head, trying to keep her from asking too many questions. He didn't want to explain he was a human to a random Pokemon he didn't know.

The Chansey merely shrugged. "Well, now you've seen one! I'm Janet, the head doctor in charge of the hospital here in Coral Town!" Janet puffed out her chest at that, clearly proud of both her title and her work.

"Coral Town?" Ewan asked?

Janet's chest immediately deflated, replaced with more confusion. "You don't know about Coral Town? Did your parents not let you out of the den when you were younger?"

_'Yeah, let's go with that story.'_ Ewan nodded, lying through his teeth, though hopefully Janet wouldn't realize, "Yeah, sorry, I'm not from around here."

Janet shrugged, though that was when her eyes narrowed, glancing down at the floor to see the scrap of paper that Ewan had knocked from the windowsill. "Have you been littering in my hospital?" She asked, her voice suddenly cold and calculating.

"N-No," Ewan stammered, as she moved to pick the paper up. "I tried picking it up but my paws are feeling a bit sore, so I accidentally dropped it. Actually, do you know what it says? I can't read it myself." If he thought the weird looks he got before were intense, hearing that he couldn't read the paper seemed to shock Janet to her core, so he quickly added, "We didn't have a lot of reading material at home, so I never really learned how to read."

"I guess that makes sense... Anything for a patient," She nodded.

_"Hey Ewan,_

_If you're reading this then you woke up while I wasn't there. It's been about a week since we met in the forest and I've been sticking around here in Coral Town to make sure you're okay. I left Janet in charge, the kind and caring nurse, who runs the best hospital in the entire countr-"_

"He has a lot of good things to say about you," Ewan muttered, Janet looking at him with an unreadable expression, though a sudden bead of sweat dripping from her forehead gave him all the information he needed.

' _Did she actually just do that?_ '

"Anyway, let's continue with the letter," Janet mumbled to herself.  _"I'm planning on leaving Coral Town after making sure you've woken up. I'm at the town market right now purchasing supplies and, assuming you're up, I'll be leaving at around 2 pm! If you want a travelling companion for a little while, I'd be happy to help you out! Don't worry about hospital fees or anything, I already paid Janet when we got here._

_Thank you, once again, for saving me from that thunderbolt._

_From Ozzy."_

"And that's that," Janet smiled. "And seeing as you are in a good condition, I think it's time we said goodbye," Janet continued to smile, though in a moment she was behind Ewan, ushering him out of the room before he could even react.

Moments later and he felt himself being pushed out of the hospital's main entrance, glancing back to see Janet waving with that smile of hers on her face. "Remember to tell your friends about how good our hospital service was!" She called out, before closing the front door.

"Did she just kick me out?" He muttered to himself in genuine surprise.

Shaking his head and glancing around, he decided to try and figure out where he was. Janet had mentioned they were in Coral Town, which must be the settlement he could see just down the road, and it was the definition of a cosy town by the sea.

Wooden huts dotted the landscape to the south, stretching out across the beach, with some Pokemon weaving in and out of various huts. It didn't seem like a particularly large settlement, but he definitely noticed the town's namesake when his eyes saw the ocean. The water was pristine and the sun shining off of the waves was beautiful, but he could see large stalks of coral that seemed to grow around the cliffs nearby, all different colours of pinks, blues and yellows. It was quite a beautiful sight.

Thinking back to that note, Ozzy had said he was shopping and that he'd be leaving at 2. It was still morning based on the position of the sun, so Ewan figured he may as well attempt to get used to his body while he had some spare time.

Though he had to admit, walking on four legs was much harder than Pokemon made it out to be. Stumbling across towards one of the nearby fields, he decided it would be best to stay off the roads in case he bumped into anybody else. Better to stick to the fields where nobody seemed to be moving around, so he could practice without feeling embarrassed.

Come to think of it though, Ozzy had never said where he'd be meeting Ewan if he woke up. Perhaps he should stay near the hospital at the very least.

Noticing a rather large tree in the middle of the field he'd wandered into, he decided that it would be best to try and stumble over there. He'd be able to stay under the shade as well, avoiding potential sunburns... Do Pokemon even get sunburnt? So many questions that needed answers.

He reached the tree after a few faceplants into the grass, but he definitely was feeling a little more confident about his walking. So by the time he sat himself down next to the trunk of the tree for a quick rest, he was feeling quite chuffed with himself.

Taking a few moments to just take in the scenery, he allowed himself to look upwards into the sky, seeing a few white clouds dotting the clear blue skies. There was a faint wind blowing across the field, a few leaves sweeping past, while the tree above him swayed itself to the breeze. He could see, off in the distance, on a path leading east out of town, a large forested area with a large hill that seemed to jut out inside, and to the north he could see ice-capped mountains, a full mountain range that reminded him of a large wall.

He had to admit, sitting here, watching the world go by, it was pretty relaxing. He could definitely get used to this sort of lifestyle, watching the day go by...

He was so relaxed that he didn't even notice his arms beginning to grow heavy, leaden with a sudden weariness that had crept up on him in a single moment. He'd just woken up though, he was energized, and yet he was tired, exhausted, breathing slowing down.

His eyes began to blur, tendrils of sleep wrapping itself around him as he felt his body growing heavier and heavier, until suddenly there was darkness.

* * *

**Location Unknown**

_Ewan's eyes snapped open, suddenly wide-awake, or so he thought, only when his eyes adjusted to the light once more, he found that he was not underneath the tree that had given his shade and shelter moments before, but somewhere else entirely. For all around him were lights, flashing in different colours, reds, blues, greens, yellows, oranges, purples, every shade, every colour, shifting through his vision._ **  
**

_Glancing downwards, he was shocked to discover that he was in fact floating in mid-air, no ground beneath him, yet that didn't mean there wasn't something else underneath him, for in the depths of this strange place, he could see fiery reds seeping into darkness. Below him sat an abyss from which there was no light. It wasn't somewhere he'd like to visit, that's for sure._

_That's when he heard it. On the wind, unintelligible, but definitely there, a voice._

_"Hello?" He called out, his voice echoing through space, though there was no reply._

_Straining his ears, he tried to listen out for that voice once more. Where was it?_

_"H...E...M...L...P...E"_

_"Where, who?" Ewan stammered, frantically spinning around. The voice was getting louder, though there was neither tone nor pitch, just a familiarity that settled in the pit of his stomach. Was this someone from his past? "If you can hear me, please say something!"_

_And then he was falling. It happened so fast, the light fading away from him as he felt his floating form begin to plummet. Eyes widening, he could see the darkness below rushing up to greet him._

_"Help!" He called out, hoping the voice could rescue him from his fate._

_And yet help never came._

_The darkness enveloped him, pulling him down into the abyss below, the light growing fainter and fainter until suddenly there was nothing left. Only darkness._

_"HELP!"_

* * *

Ewan's eyes snapped open once again, the Mudkip breathing heavy and fast as he shot up from where he was sleeping, adrenaline pumping, eyes wide and paws trembling.  _'What the hell was that?'_ He thought to himself as he scanned his surroundings, feeling immediate relief as he saw the familiar landscape of Coral Town stretched out before him.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Said Mudkip in question almost jumped a mile hearing the sudden voice behind him, spinning around in both terror and shock to see a familiar figure sitting next to him by the tree, chomping on a berry.

"You scared me half to death!" Ewan choked out, his surprise replaced with slight irritation.

"Sorry, sorry," Ozzy consoled, raising his arms in defeat. "You just jumped up so suddenly, I got a little concerned. You're still fresh out of the hospital after all," He explained, motioning to said building behind them.

"I-I'm fine," Ewan breathed.

Though the rather awkward silence that followed didn't help matters.

"So..." Ewan muttered slowly as if trying to coax some sort of discussion from the Treecko.

"R-Right!" Ozzy stammered, pushing himself up from his spot by the tree. "I guess I should start by thanking you again! You saved me from that thunderbolt, after all! And I get the feeling we got off on the wrong foot. My name's Ozzy!"

"Yeah, I guess I should also thank you for bringing me here too. My name's Ewan." Though beyond those brief introductions, he didn't have anything else on the forefront of his mind. "So what now?"

"Well, you can either sit around here doing nothing or travel with me to the safest place in the region. I mean, I still don't buy the whole human story you've got going on, but I can tell by your actions that you're not a bad Pokemon." Ozzy shrugged, gesturing to the road that led to that forest he saw before he fell asleep.

"It's not a story, I'm telling the truth," Ewan replied, but Ozzy was already a few steps ahead, moving away from the tree.

Ultimately, Ewan decided to go with the flow. Ozzy did pay for his medical bills after all and having a companion on the road would be nice while he caught his bearings. Still, he didn't know how to feel about the Treecko just yet given he clearly didn't believe his story at all.

"C'mon then," Ozzy gestured, walking towards the road. "We've only got around six hours of daylight, so I'd like to get moving fast!"

Nodding along, Ewan attempted to catch up to Ozzy, though he still found himself tripping over his hind legs while acclimating to his new body. "I don't understand how people walk like this," He mumbled irritatingly, much to Ozzy's amusement.

"You really don't know the first thing about walking. Did you crawl everywhere all your life or something?" Ozzy jokingly asked.

"Once again, not used to this, humans didn't walk on all fours," He grumbled, Ozzy ignoring the comment, much to his annoyance.

A few minutes later and the pair found themselves exiting Coral Town and heading down a large dirt road that winded into a forest further inland. Though before that, he noticed Ozzy pull a map out from his pouch, surprised that such a small pouch could fit so much inside.

"Oh, it's enchanted," Ozzy explained, noticing Ewan's stare. "Anyway, our goal is to get to Paradisal Town by nightfall, earlier if nothing bad happens."

"Paradisal Town?" Ewan asked.

The shocked look on Ozzy's face at Ewan's questioning only further cemented the irritation Ewan had been feeling when Ozzy blurted out, "You don't know about Paradisal Town?! I mean, it's literally the largest city in the Tempori region of the continent of Pepromena! Ewan, tell me you know what I'm saying here!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't know because I'm not a Pokemon! I was human!" Ewan exclaimed, stalking past Ozzy in annoyance.

"H-Hey, I wasn't trying to call you out or anything," Ozzy stated quickly, trying to catch up the angry Mudkip.

"Oh really? All you've been doing since we started talking is calling me out and telling me I'm just lying. And for the love of god-"

"You mean Arceus," Ozzy suddenly interrupted, getting a wide-eyed furious glare from his travelling companion.

"Fine! For the love of Arceus, how am I supposed to travel with you if you don't even have any trust in me?" Ewan shouted, practically steaming at the Treecko. "If you really wanted to help me out, you'd actually make an effort to at least entertain me as opposed to denying me every chance you get!"

"Well look at it from my point of view Ewan! Humans haven't been seen in thousands of years, then out pops a Mudkip who claims he used to be human, who's also got amnesia, who I just happened to find in the middle of a storm in the forest. You could have just tripped and bashed your head on something and lost your memory that way," Ozzy reasoned.

And Ewan had to admit, taking a deep breath, that perhaps his story was a bit outlandish, and perhaps Ozzy might have a point, even if it went against everything Ewan was remembering. "Are you even open to the possibility that I'm telling the truth?"

He was surprised to see Ozzy nod immediately at that question, answering with an, "Of course I am! Sure, maybe I don't believe you right now, but we've only known each other for a grand total of thirty minutes. You're a stranger, but I  _want_ to be your friend, to see for myself whether you're telling the truth!"

' _Be my friend?_ ' Ewan couldn't help but feel surprised at that heel turn. "I-I guess that's fair," Ewan sighed, calming himself down. He really couldn't afford to alienate the one person who'd given him the time of day, otherwise, he'd have to go back to Janet, and he got the impression that nobody wanted to go back to Janet. "Maybe I did overreact..."

"And I promise to judge you fairly, Ewan," Ozzy added with a light smile.

"Thanks, Ozzy," Ewan stated quietly, holding a paw out to his friend in an effort to make a handshake.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Ozzy asked curiously.

"You seriously don't do handshakes here?" Ewan asked, brow raised.

"Hand, what?"

"Y'know what, it doesn't matter," Ewan admitted, putting his paw down, glancing away from Ozzy down the road. "I guess we're friends now?"

"I guess we are," Ozzy mused, as they slowly began to walk down the path from Coral Town, each of the pair lost in their own thoughts for the moment.

For Ozzy, he had made a friend and a travelling companion, who he could help out on the road to Paradisal Town, his first friend since leaving his home. While for Ewan, he had made his first friend who he could hopefully place his trust in while trying to figure out the new world he had found himself in. It was different, that was for sure, but he was glad he had someone to show him the ropes.

* * *

**Forest Path**

As the early afternoon began to drag on, the pair of Pokemon found themselves travelling through a rather enclosed forest, Ewan and Ozzy both sticking to the dirt road that seemed to have been carved through the trees. Glancing around, Ewan couldn't help but feel like something was off. Every time he glanced at the trees, he could feel a slight trepidation that seemed to electrify his senses.

"Hey, Ozzy?" He called up to his friend, who was leading the way. "I'm getting a bad feeling here."

"Don't worry Ewan," Ozzy called back. "Just keep away from the trees. Don't want you getting lost in the forest now do we."

The way he seemed to warn Ewan with those words, it was pretty clear that Ozzy knew something about this forest that Ewan had no clue about. "Is there something you're no-"

"Hey, there's a break in the trees up ahead! Looks like we're at the halfway point!" Ozzy interrupted, moving ahead towards where Ewan could see a break in the canopy.

Ewan quickly broke into a small sprint to catch up, somewhat annoyed that fate didn't want him to get an answer from Ozzy, though as they emerged from the trees, he was surprised at what he found.

The pair had emerged into a large clearing around the forest where two large hills sat, rising up like spires from the ground. They were covered in grass and rock, almost like cliffs, but they were covered in beautiful flowers and flora. The pillar furthest away from them even had a large tree on top of it, which Ewan was sure he had seen from his spot back in Coral Town when he looked in this direction.

"Well, we're at the Mystery Hill! Looks like we got the bridge!" Ozzy exclaimed, trundling forwards up the path that led up the hill towards the worn stone bridge.

"What do you mean, we got the bridge? Can't we just walk around the side of the hills?" Ewan asked in confusion. Sure, they might have to weave through a few of the trees at the bottom, but it had to be quicker than climbing a hill in the middle of the day, right?

"Trust me Ewan, you don't want to go in that forest," Ozzy replied. "There's a path for a reason, we need to stick to it."

Without elaborating further, Ozzy continued to press on, Ewan deciding it would be best not to press his luck any further. If Ozzy was adamant that staying on the path was their best option, he wasn't going to argue. But he couldn't help but feel there was definitely something at play here that he didn't understand.

After a fifteen minute hike upwards, they finally reached the stone bridge that connected the spires. It was quite an old stone bridge, with cracked stone as the base, and it even seemed pretty sturdy despite it's appearance.

"Alright, I'll go first," Ozzy explained, turning back to his friend. "If we put too much weight onto the bridge, it could collapse."

With that warning, Ozzy walked out onto the bridge, keeping his pace even and crossing to the middle of the precipice without much issue. Though Ewan, glancing at the rock, felt it would be fine. There were no cracks where Ozzy was walking, nor were there signs that the bridge was dangerous, so without hesitating, he also began to cross to the bridge.

Glancing backwards from where he was, Ozzy couldn't help but roll his eyes, "I said it was dangerous, you should wait until I'm at the other side."

"Yeah, yeah, this bridge is super stable, Ozz-"

Neither of them could really quite believe it though when, in a single instant, stone exploded through the air as the bridge suddenly began to crumble around them. Ozzy was quick to react and close to the end of the bridge as it was, darting to the other side as quickly as possible, though for Ewan, things were taking a turn for the painful.

He felt himself falling through the sky before slamming hard into the side of one of the hills. Stone and debris began to fall around him as he felt himself tumbling like a ragdoll further down the hill until suddenly he was engulfed in the treeline, tree trunks and leaves smacking into him as he continued to fall.

And then he felt a terrible slam as he came to rest in the dirt on the forest floor, feeling his body aching with pain.

Pushing himself up in an attempt to look back the way he came, he was surprised to see that the trees had almost bunched up in the direction he'd fallen from, closing around his potential escape and leaving him with no way back.

"Ozzy?" He called out, concerned.

And then it hit him.

He was lost.


	3. Mystery Dungeon!

**Chapter 3 - Mystery Dungeon!**

* * *

**Forest Hill S1**

"Ozzy? Hello? OZZY!" Ewan called out, his voice bouncing off of the trees, echoing into the distance. Not a single reply came back. Was he really lost after a single fall? "I guess I'll have to find my own way out then," He sighed, taking a few steps into the small clearing of the forest he had rolled in to.

His eyes widened as he surveyed his surroundings though. The colour of the sky was fading, the light blue being replaced by a dark purple haze. The trees began to darken, stumps turning black, while the leaves began to crumple up, becoming brown and shrivelled. Taking a step back, he noticed that the earth under his paws felt rougher than before, and as he looked down, the cracked earth beneath him caused his breathing to accelerate.

"What the hell?" He choked out, taking a few steps to his left in an attempt to clamber away through the trees.

When he looked at his escape though, he was surprised to see that the trees had bunched together, forming a seemingly solid wooden wall of bark and leaves, making sure that he could not go back the way he had come. That was when the fear of his situation set in, and he felt himself clutching his head, a slight headache forming from the stress.

_'The forest full on changed its appearance! It feels way eviler and, if anything, it feels deadly! I don't know how I got here, but wherever 'here' is, I need to find Ozzy! He has to know what's going on! He warned me not to go into the forest, after all.'_

It was then that the Mudkip noticed a small passageway to his left, a sort of corridor that led further into the forest. He had no leads, and the clearing he was in looked rather bleak, so without a second glance, he decided to go through the narrow passage.

Branches snagged at his head fin as he slowly crept down the path. That dark feeling he had felt earlier, when he was on the road with Ozzy, it was hitting him in abundance. He was so focused on his inner thoughts that he failed to notice that the sky had vanished, a canopy of dark trees taking over. The trees were lifted up by steep rocky cliffs, not climbable in any way. They seemed to be mimicking the hills that he had seen while on the path, and as the corridor finally burst into another clearing, Ewan narrowed his eyes, noticing a figure sitting down by a stack of leaves.

His eyes rested on the unfamiliar shadow in front of him, smaller than his own height, but not by much. It seemed to scuttle along the floor, and as a tiny shred of light illuminated its body, Ewan noticed to small mushrooms growing on its back. It had six legs, four rather small back legs, and two large pincer-like front legs. Its body was shaped like a crab, bright orange, while its face was hidden from view.

Giving a sigh of relief, Ewan realized it was a Pokémon, and quickly walked out into the clearing, making his presence known to the small crab insect.

"Excuse me, but do you know how to get back to the road?" Ewan asked, taking a few more steps towards the Pokémon. However, there was no reaction from the mysterious Pokémon, as if it had not heard him.

Taking another step forward, a sudden change in the atmosphere occurred and Ewan found himself trembling for a moment. Something was not right here; deep down in the pit of his stomach, he could feel that something about this Pokémon was wrong. Was it sick? Or something else...

"A-Are you okay?" He asked, voice trembling, now only a few paces away from the bug, holding out his front paw.

The Pokémon turned around, eyes red and bloodshot, Ewan gasping for a quick moment, as it quickly chucked itself towards the Mudkip. It outstretched a pincer, six small teeth bared in anger, and Ewan barely had time to register what had happened. The attack hit his side, causing him to flinch back in pain as he felt a small droplet of blood on his side.

"What was that for?" He angrily asked, still expecting an answer from the Pokémon, instead getting something much worse in return. A giant yellow haze erupted from the mushrooms on its back, covering the area quickly with its foggy effect.

The Mudkip winced, feeling a large weight on his body all of a sudden. It was as if he was being forced down to the floor, except the only Pokémon was that bug thing, and it was on the other side of the clearing. How was he feeling so weighted? ' _Wait...The fog!'_

As his body hit the floor, he gnashed his teeth together, holding his breath as he tried not to breathe in any more of the spores. The bug type was already pouncing towards the water type, its pincers outstretched once more, this time aimed at his face. Ewan tried to move, but his legs refused to cooperate, and fear began to show in his eyes as the bug type jumped up, ready to drop into his face and take a massive bite.

With immense pain and effort, Ewan found himself rolling slightly to the right, his body using all of its excess strength in order to do it, and so his body just collapsed. He was still conscious, however, and that must have been the worst of it all. The Pokémon finally landed right next to him, and with a quick slap, Ewan felt his tail move on its own, smacking into the bug, knocking it backwards.

It was then that Ewan realized that the fog was beginning to lift, and he was finally getting movement back into his limbs. The shaken bug type let out a feral screech, before pouncing once more towards the Mudkip, but this time, Ewan had a plan. Jumping forward, the Mudkip let his instincts take over, feeling a sudden pressure on his head as he slammed himself into the bug, knocking the mystery Pokémon back to the floor, smashing it into the dirt.

Feeling droplets of blood as he stood up, he looked at the damage he had caused. His charge had caused the Pokémon to scrape across the ground in a painful way, it's back completely shredded by the tough earth. It looked to be in absolute pain, but Ewan just took a step backwards, feeling a sharp shot of pain on his side where he had been scratched earlier in the fight.

His scratch wound was bleeding only slightly, but the graze was enough to slow his movements down as he walked away. "I need to get out of here..."

Wobbling slightly as he left the clearing and the wounded Pokemon, heading through another small passage, he was surprised to find that his wound was slowly beginning to hurt less and less. Looking back at the scratch, he was shocked to see that it had almost completely healed up. "I-It healed..."

The scales and skin looked almost as good as new, a bright blue shine glistening from the scales as he emerged into a lit up area. Looking away from his wound, his eyes rested upon a large stone pillar sitting in the centre of the room. It looked completely scratch free, designs etched across its surface. Strange carvings and symbols were finely carved into the stone, an ancient feel hanging around the towering object.

"A pillar?" He thought aloud, approaching it cautiously.

When he was right against the pillar, he placed a paw on its surface, feeling the smooth designs that were ridged across the pillar. "They feel so... ancient..."

Suddenly, the sound of leaves rustling caught his attention, the Mudkip spinning around the way he came, only to see the path fading away into the overgrowth. Bushes, trees, branches, vines and grass all seemed to shift around him, coming closer to the pillar, taking away his way back. Looking the other way, breathing heavily, he noticed fresh paths opening up in front of him.

* * *

**Forest Hill S2**

A loud rumbling filled the air, and Ewan felt the ground beginning to shake beneath him. He felt himself trip, falling onto the grass behind him. Looking up, his eyes widened in shock as the stone pillar began to descend into the ground as if it was being swallowed by the earth. Dirt was thrown across the room where the pillar had once stood, some of the mud getting onto the water-type, and Ewan grimaced as the pillar finally vanished, grass replacing the disturbed dirt in a matter of moments.

Within a minute, it was as if there was never any stone pillar in the first place, and Ewan couldn't help but breathe faster as he looked at the new area around him. The forest was even darker than it was in the last area. The leaves of the trees were slowly turning a shade of purple, while the bark of the trees was turning completely grey. The ground was no longer soil or earth. There was just a stone grey layer ahead of him.

"What the hell is wrong with this place?" He thought aloud.

Taking a few steps forward, he let himself wander into the maze of twisted halls and clearings, hoping that he would not run into another Pokémon. This place was hostile, and he could see why Ozzy didn't want him falling in here. Why didn't he just wait at the bridge? He just had to try and ignore Ozzy's order.

"Can't think about that now," He groaned, pushing those thoughts from his mind. "I need to find a way out of here."

A depressing atmosphere seemed to settle among the trees as Ewan continued to walk, branches seeming to wilt as he walked by. The only Pokémon that tried to attack him was a little green caterpillar bug, and it did not put up much of a fight. Ewan was able to beat it easily, but he couldn't help but dwell on his sudden instincts that were showing. They were not human, they were not his own, they were something else altogether. It was like they didn't belong to him, but he was grateful nevertheless.

Finding another pillar like the one from before, he touched it, before being whisked off to another area, hoping he could find a way back to Ozzy.

* * *

**Mystery Hill**

It had all happened so fast, and he just stood there for a few moments, trying to take in what had happened. The bridge was there one second and gone the next. The Mudkip had fallen too far down the hill for Ozzy to see, and all he could do was look out in horror and worry.

Finally, he managed to croak out a few sounds. "E...Ewan?"

His call echoed down to the ground, but as the rumble seemed to stop, and the earth came to a stand-still, his legs were finally back in his control. Now he could react. "EWAN!?" He cried out, turning to run down the spire path of the hill. ' _Ewan, you better be safe! If you've been crushed, I'll never forgive myself! We just became friends too!'_

"Ewan, I'm coming to save you!" He cried out, darting towards the edge of the road, where the hill sloped down to a lower path. Jumping off of the edge, his feet caught the hillside, and he felt himself sliding down, rocks and grass being flung out of the way as the determined Treecko managed to hit the next path.

When he reached the bottom of the hill, his eyes darted around the fallen debris of the stone bridge, trying to spot the blue amongst the white and grey. With a panicked yell, he shouted out, "Can you hear me, Ewan?" But there was no response, the cry echoing across the grass and rock of the hill, before vanishing into the air. It was then that he heard a snap behind him.

Spinning around, the green Treecko turned to look at the small clearing between himself and the tree line. Trees seemed to dot themselves around the hill in a tight bunch, and the grass of the clearing looked messed up. As if something had fallen and crushed the blades with weight. "Ewan?" He called out, taking a few steps towards the trees, eyes resting on a small branch which was laid across the ground, snapped in half. Finding himself running up to it, his eyes noticed the small red marks in the grass next to the stick, and with a gasp, he realised what it was.

"Blood... Ewan fell into the trees... Into the dungeon." Snapping his head up to look at the trees, a dark and foreboding feel surrounded the Treecko, dread replacing the hope that he had only just gained. But, his friend was in there, somewhere, and he needed to be saved! "Ewan... I'll find you!"

And with that, Ozzy darted forwards into the trees, slipping into the darkness, unaware of the shadow that had been watching him from the hillside.

* * *

**Forest Hill S3**

The progress was slow for the Mudkip as he continued his trek through the colourful forest, darkness becoming a major issue for his chosen path. There had been no light since he had last left the pillar, and he was beginning to wonder whether it was night-time yet. As his walking pace slowed, he heard a noise, a rumbling sound. He turned left and right standing in place while waiting to see what was there, but then the rumbling sound met his ears again. Only now it was much closer than before.

"Who's there?" He called, trying to keep his voice from cracking. He needed his poker face, he couldn't let whatever was watching him think he was scared.

The growl was so loud now, that he jumped back, shielding himself with one of his front paws, covering his eyes in fear. He was trembling, unable to comprehend what was happening. And then he heard the rumble for the final time, and he mentally face-pawed himself for his stupidity when he realized what the growling truly was.

He was so afraid that even his own stomach had sounded like a monster... But he was surprised at how hungry he was getting.

"I haven't eaten anything today..." He grumbled, a frown forming on his face as he continued his walk, even slower than he thought possible.

As he emerged into another clearing, he was met with a terrifying sight. Just a few paces away, a couple of small blue berries sat, illuminated by a tiny ray of light, the only light in the room. But behind the berries, a pair of purple rat Pokémon sat, eyes closed in a state of slumber. Ewan would have passed them by, but the berries were tempting, especially for his stomach which needed the food.

_'Just don't make any loud noises, Ewan.'_

He slowly inched towards the nearest berry, being careful not to step on any stray branches or leaves, ready to grab it. But then the horror and the realisation kicked in. He couldn't pick up the berries with his paws! He would have to eat the berry there... ' _I need to learn how to carry things with these paws, I'm sure it's possible... Damnit!'_

Slowly lowering himself to the first berry, he took a small bite out of it, eyes on the purple rats, hoping they would not wake up. As the juices burst out of the berry, he found some of it dripping onto his face, and he grimaced slightly at the feeling, that was until he felt the berry's effect on his body. His weariness vanished, his aches disappearing, muscles suddenly full of energy. He was feeling refreshed!

Smiling at the feeling, Ewan quickly chomped down the berry, leaving the second for the two rats that were still asleep. His stomach had seemingly stopped bothering him, and now Ewan felt more alive and ready to get out of the gloomy place. Just as he was about to leave the clearing, however, he heard a cry.

**Criaaaaaaa!**

He span around, seeing the two rats racing towards him at super fast speed. He jumped to his left, feeling a claw run down his side, as one of the rats turned to grab him. Quickly whipping his tail in the direction of the rat that had hit him, he heard a cry of pain, and the rat hit a tree stump nearby. Taking this chance to move, Ewan felt himself running down a small side path, the sound of the two rats still close on his heels. He needed to get out of there and fast!

How those rats awakened right as he was leaving, he had no clue? They seemed fast asleep when he left them.

Taking a left, and then a right, his eyes widened in shock as he ran straight into a dead end. Turning, he caught a glimpse of his two pursuers, slowly closing in from behind, the whites of their eyes illuminated in the darkness. Their pupils were bright red, a terrifying shine illuminating them.

Ewan gulped, ready to make a dive to escape, seeing the first rat jump towards him. He dived to the right, only to be hit by the second rat, who knocked him backwards into a bush. The branches on the bush poked at Ewan's side, causing the water-type to flinch in pain as the two rats closed in for the kill. The Mudkip closed his eyes, shaking, ready for the inevitable attack.

But it never came. And when his eyes opened, he was face to face with a familiar figure, and two rats close behind. One of the rats was limping, and the other was staring down the figure of Ozzy, who stood there, arms outstretched.

"If you want him, you'll have to get through me," Ozzy stated, staring into those red eyes of the rat.

A loud screech hit Ewan's ears, and he cringed, noticing that the rats had begun to back off. He couldn't believe his eyes as the forms of his attackers vanished into the shadows, like they were never there, and as he turned to Ozzy he heard a sigh of relief.

"That was close..." As Ozzy turned to Ewan, the Mudkip could see that his friend was covered in small bruises and cuts, just like himself.

"Ozzy... What?"

"No time for that Ewan. I think they'll be coming back soon. We need to get out of this place," The Treecko grimaced, motioning for Ewan to follow him, which Ewan did gladly.

"But where is this place? Where the heck are we, and why is everything trying to kill us?"

"We are in a cursed place - a Mystery Dungeon. It's a place where reality and logic seems to get flung out of the window in favour of confusion and chaos. Although, if that's too symbolical, I guess it's just a giant maze with lots of floors and areas," Ozzy explained as they walked, looking around carefully. "The reason why everything wants to kill us. Well - None of the Pokémon here are sentient. They are all feral and wild, no intelligence whatsoever."

Ewan widened his eyes, shocked at what he was hearing. "A maze? Feral Pokémon..."

"Ewan, keep calm. We're in the last sector, we should escape at the next pillar," Ozzy consoled, giving Ewan a sympathetic look.

"You mean those pillars are important?" He asked surprised. There was something odd about those ancient cylindrical stones... I guess it was a lot clearer now. "They transport us to different sectors."

Ozzy nodded, giving a small smile. "You know, this is the first time I've been in a Mystery Dungeon. I read about them and studied them, but this is all new to me," Ozzy laughed, continuing down the path, leaving Ewan dumbstruck.

"You mean you've never been in one of these  _dungeons_  before?"

"Nope, first time for everything though, right," He laughed, leaving Ewan even more confused.

_This guy... What is it about that Treecko. He's just so easy going... Or is he over-acting? I can't even tell at this point, I just want to get out of this place._ Ewan turned to look at his friend, who was smiling while walking, seemingly relaxed about the whole ordeal. "Ozzy, how are you so calm?"

The Treecko paused, and Ewan could see his shoulders droop slightly, his entire posture changing in an instant. Now he looked rather depressed... Almost sad. "I never said I was..."

The reply was so quiet that Ewan could barely even hear hit, but by Ozzy's bitter tone, it seemed to be a good time to drop the subject. Instead, he focussed on something that Ozzy had said before. "Um - Ozzy? What did you mean when you said this was a  _cursed place_?"

As Ozzy turned to look at Ewan, a smile was on his face again as they walked into a small clearing, and there right in front of them stood the pillar and according to Ozzy, it was the one that would set them free. "Well, some theorists believe Mystery Dungeons are separate from our world, like anomalies. Most anomalies are considered bad, and as the layout of these mazes always change, and everything seems to have that eerie feel, people call these places cursed."

As they touched the pillar, Ewan couldn't help but wonder about Ozzy's knowledge. He obviously knew a lot about these dungeons, so he had to have a reason for it. But Ewan bit down on his curiosity, deciding to go against it instead. "Let's get out of here," He sighed, as the pillar made the trees move to the side, parting ways until the two Pokémon were hit by bright sunlight. It was so light that it almost blinded Ewan, but as they let go of the pillar, and it vanished into the ground, they found themselves on the edge of a forest.

* * *

**Route 203**

"Well this is a great turn of events," Ozzy laughed, looking out at the scenery around them.

A large dirt path, just like the road they had been following from Coral Town, stretched out ahead of them, sloping up and down some small meadows, some stray trees here and there. To their left was a large mountain, which seemed to be ever-present, in the distance from Coral Town. A large waterfall hung in the distance, the roaring of the water calming Ewan's nerves somewhat as he listened to the crash and boom of water on the rocks.

To their right, a large seaside cliff, along with a vast ocean spread itself out, going across the fields as far as the eye could see. The sun, which was now hanging further to the ground, illuminated the water, causing a light shimmer on the surface of the sea. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

"Ewan, that waterfall over there leads straight into Paradisal Town. We've almost made it," Ozzy stated, eyes wide with excitement, although Ewan was unsure as to why. "Come on! Town's this way!"

The Treecko quickly leapt onto the path, his feet carrying him all the way across the fields, Ewan trying to keep up behind, a small smile on the Mudkip's face as he chased his friend. And then his friend stopped at the top of a slightly large hill, overlooking the seaside. Ewan finally caught up with him.

"Wait up Ozzy! You are too fa-" But his voice cut off as he saw what Ozzy was looking at.

"Ewan, welcome to Paradisal Town."


	4. The Offer

  **Chapter 4 - The Offer**

* * *

"Ewan! Welcome to Paradisal Town!"

The eyes of the Mudkip wandered across the scene that was in front of him with awe in his eyes. Down the hill from where the two of them stood, there was a large town similar to a seaside resort. There were stone buildings rising up around the country side, some a pristine white, like marble, others a lot more grey, like normal stone. There were some wooden huts for buildings that needed less space, and dotted between the buildings were patches of grass, containing a variety of different coloured flowers, as well as berry bushes and trees.

He could see near the centre of the town, various colourful ribbons hung up, and from where they were standing, many Pokemon walking through the streets. He had to guess that was the main hub of the town, and towards the ocean, there were beautiful beaches adorning the seaside.

To the left of the city area of the town, dirt roads could be seen winding out into the countryside, where many hills, trees and fields could be seen. The emerald green grass seemed to go on forever until they reached more forests to the east. There were small huts dotted around the landscape, just perfectly next to the road and the fields, which Ewan assumed was where some of the Pokemon lived. The waterfall he had seen from before was also present, the water cascading down the mountainside to their immediate left. The waterfall then formed into a large river which flowed along the countryside, going across the fields towards Paradisal. The river then cut through the centre of the town, snaking it's way to the ocean, where a small pier could be seen, jutting out towards the open waters.

The town sprawled across the ocean to the fields on the other side of the valley. There were some mountains to Ewan's left, the furthest being snow-capped, although they were a good few days walk from the town. To the right, the sprawling blue ocean glistened in the sunlight, the light reflecting off of the waves to create a rippling rainbow effect. The view was almost breathtaking. His eyes trailed down to the sandy beach that sat by the ocean, noticing the calm and pristine white sands, perfectly clean, unpolluted and pure.

"Wow... This place is beautiful," Ewan muttered, looking at Ozzy, who just had a large grin on his face. "But what are all of the buildings for? There's quite a lot of them."

Ozzy turned to the Mudkip, a happy look on his face. "Well, I'd guess that some of the smaller buildings are homes, and some of the taller buildings are workplaces. You see, we have jobs like builders, farmers, the normal type of jobs that help to provide the essentials for a sustainable life. Although, a lot of people just want to settle down, but it's been tougher to do so in these past few months. There have been all kinds of natural disasters, and more mystery dungeons are popping up around Pepromena. And don't get me started on the Monarchy..."

"You mean there are more of those dungeons?" The Mudkip asked surprised.

"Yeah, and people, like you did, end up wandering inside of them and they end up trapped. It's really dangerous, that dungeon crawling..."

_'Wait... Do people get trapped in those places? Ozzy and I were in a place where people could get trapped?! Seriously!'_

"You mean, they're never found, the people, I mean?"

Ozzy's smile turned into a smirk at that moment. It was like he was waiting for that question. "Well, actually, that links into why I'm here in Paradisal Town. You see, if a Pokémon gets caught inside of a dungeon, there are groups known as Destiny Teams who go in to save them, as well as collecting stray items, defeating outlaws, and just general exploring! Destiny Teams are sort of like keepers of the peace, helping out everyone in need!"

Ewan nodded, the pieces clicking together in his mind. "So basically, Destiny Teams are there to help out people? It sounds pretty one-sided though.. I mean, other than praise, what do the Teams get out of it?"

Ozzy thought for a moment, quickly coming to an answer. That guy had an answer to everything.

"Teams get a money reward, and more perks as they rank up. You see, there's a ranking system. You start at the bottom as the beginner rank, then it goes up to experienced rank. After you pass those two ranks, you become fully fledged teams, and the rank names drastically change. It then goes Dialgean rank, Palkean rank, Giratean rank, and then the most coveted spot of all, the Arcean Rank. They're named after the four main gods of the region, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina and Arceus!"

Suddenly, a spark seemed to set off in Ewan's mind. Those names, had he heard them before? They sounded so familiar, but then as soon as the moment came, it passed leaving Ewan's mind empty once more. "Arceus... Ozzy mentioned that name earlier but that... That's not what my mind is thinking about..." Glancing up at Ozzy once more, another of his earlier comments stood out. "Wait, did you say Monarchy?"

"Yup, though between you and me, I think our country really needs a democracy, or a ruler worth their salt, but I'd rather not bore you with politics. C'mon, I'll show you around the town! I've been here once before when I was younger, so I'm hoping nothing's changed!" Ozzy laughed, grabbing Ewan and dragging him along by the paw.

"Woah, Ozzy, the town's not going anywhere," Ewan laughed, giving a silly grin as Ozzy let go of him, before putting a hand to his head and grinning sheepishly.

"Right, I just got a bit excited, haha. Now come on, I wanna check this place out!"

* * *

**Paradisal Market**

To say that the market was busy was an understatement. To say that there were tons of different Pokémon from all types and age groups was an understatement as well. As Ewan and Ozzy walked through the market place, their eyes drifting across the various stalls, large arrays and assortments of Pokémon would hobble past to their own destinations. Considering the town was the capital of the Tempori Region, it seemed pretty understandable that the place would be packed with Pokémon, but even so, it was rather crazy.

Reds, yellows, blues and greens. There were colours draping themselves across the market place, causing a rainbow of fabrics to hang along the walls. Many wooden stands were set up around the road, some larger than others, some connected to buildings and shops.

"You see Ewan, this is the busiest street in Paradisal Town, the Market Street, or the Main Street if you prefer. It's got shops that sell a whole range of items associated with the Tempori region! This region is more about wildlife, berries, things like that. I love the natural vibe this place gives off, it makes me feel so free," Ozzy explained, smiling.

"You know Ozzy, I take back what I said earlier today. You'd make a great tour guide!" The water Pokémon laughed, strolling alongside the captivated grass type. "Seriously, this place is amazing... I don't remember much, but not even the cleanest human towns were this pure..."

"Really? I don't know how humans could live with all of their industrial stuff. It confused me in the tales."

"Tales?"

Ozzy turned to face the Mudkip, a quizzical look etched across his face. "You don't know about the ancient human tales? Legends said that humans were here before us Pokémon, but after humans began to pollute the country, they all just vanished."

Ewan's eyes seemed to widen, and his strolling came to a sudden halt. "V-Vanished? You mean, they disappeared?" His voice was shaking as he looked at his Treecko friend, suddenly afraid. What if he was vanished with the others, but something went wrong? He was a human, right? Vanishing wasn't natural! Was this a punishment for polluting the land?

"Don't worry Ewan, it happened thousands of years ago. Even if you were a human, which I'm still not sure about, you were probably one of the nice ones..."

"Wow, because being nice is a great consolation..." Ewan rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Come on, it's not what you think. There are some Pokémon who believe that humans just went to an alternate universe. Some believe they were never any humans to begin with. It's a really confusing myth, though where there's a legend, there are conspiracy theorists," Ozzy consoled. "Come on, let's see... what would cheer you up?"

"I don't need cheeri-"

"You would look amazing with an Aqua Blue Ribbon!" Ozzy suddenly exclaimed, dashing towards the nearest clothing stall.

"A ribbon? I thought only girls wore ribbons?" He called after his friend, hurrying over to avoid getting separated from the crowds.

Ozzy just started laughing, making the Mudkip feel rather embarrassed about the whole comment. "Of course not, ribbons are fashionable no matter the gender! If you prefer though, maybe an Aqua Blue Scarf would suit you better," The Treecko grinned, walking up to the rather colourful clothes stand. "Excuse me, I was wondering if I could purchase an Aqua Blue Scarf, and a Grass Green Scarf?"

The shop owner, a Jynx wearing a lipstick red scarf, just smiled and nodded, picking out the two scarfs from the rack, looking the pair over with a weary eye until she saw Ozzy pulling out some money. "That'll be 200, sweet thing." The Jynx then winked at Ozzy, the grass type blushing madly as he handed over the money, withdrawing it from his waist pouch. "I think they really suit you boys, come again, and tell your friend he doesn't need to hide behind you next time too. Jynx's Fashion Shop is always open after all." The female Jynx gave them another quick wink, then turned away to another customer, leaving Ozzy flushed with embarrassment, while Ewan was already backing away quickly.

"Um... What just happened?" Ozzy asked nervously.

"Nope, nope, nope, that's just... I don't... Let's just go," Ewan finally stammered.

He knew the shopkeep was probably just teasing them, but she had no right to be that good at making them feel embarrassed.

The two walked away from the Fashion Shop, Ozzy finally bringing out the scarves that he had purchased. They seemed to be in top quality condition, and there was something... mystical about them from what Ewan could gather. The Mudkip watched as Ozzy fastened his own scarf around his neck, before passing Ewan his own scarf.

"Um... Ozzy..."

"Yeah Ewan?"

"No hands..."

The awkward silence that followed was almost unbearable as Ozzy picked up the scarf and wrapped it around his friend. "You are learning to walk on two feet at some point or at least learning to pick stuff up with your paws. Then you can do this yourself!"

Almost immediately, Ewan could feel something different about him once the scarf was fastened. It was as if he was slightly more confident, or stronger, maybe a bit of both... He couldn't exactly point out what was going on, but he felt almost on top of the world!

"These scarves look awesome!" Ozzy exclaimed, trying to find something reflective so he could look at his reflection, Ewan rolling his eyes as he followed, wondering just how much his new friend could change in terms of emotions before the day was done. Looking up into the sky, he noticed it was much later than mid-day, almost sunset, and the way Ozzy was going, he was heading towards the beach. "Ewan, let's go look in the ocean! Plus I know you'll love the water!"

"Alright then, C'mon!" Ewan grinned, rushing after him, finally running properly with his new body. ' _I totally deserve an award for finally being able to walk and run in this body!'_ _  
_

* * *

**Paradisal Beach**

The two Pokémon sat on a small pier that jutted out into the ocean. The water was washing up and down along the seashore, coming to a halt on the sandy beaches that surrounded the coast of Paradisal Town. On the beach some Pokemon could be seen, some of the younger ones playing in the sand, while the adults were watching the ocean waves. And far out on the horizon, a herd of Lapras were swimming by, their dark silhouettes that contrasted with the glowing orange sun behind them, and the two Pokemon were transfixed by the sight.

The calm crash of the wave, and the serene and gentle flowing of the water helped to calm down the exhausted Mudkip, who, let's face it, had been through a hell of a lot in the past day. He let his eyes close to relax for a moment, breathing a sigh of relief as he felt his front paws dangle from the pier's edge.

Ozzy was sitting next to him, watching the waves on the beach, a small smile on his face, although it seemed a lot more sombre than it had been before. He seemed troubled, and Ewan could tell by how tense he seemed to feel. Opening his eyes, the Mudkip turned to face the Treecko, who had his eyes closed, and his head turned towards the ocean.

"Ozzy? You look a little troubled... Is something wrong?" Ewan asked, watching as his friend slowly turned. He could see that something was seriously bothering the Treecko, but it would be rude to press too much. "I'm just a little concerned, is all."

"It's fine Ewan. Just a bit of homesickness. I came here with my family, to this very pier, when I was younger. I'm just remembering..." The Treecko gave a small smile, a sincere one. "I miss them sometimes, they weren't exactly thrilled with my choice to come here but..." His voice trailed off into silence.

"I know the feeling... I can't even remember my family, so I don't even know who they were... I just remember that I miss them..." Ewan looked back to the water, giving a small sigh. "But hey, you can go visit your family when you really want to," He consoled, patting Ozzy on the back with his paw. "It'll be fine."

They both sat there for a few moments, silently relaxing in each other's company. It was probably the calmest part of the day for the both of them. It was only when Ozzy gasped slightly, that both of them remembered where they were.

"Ewan... Look at the sunset... It's beautiful..."

And sure enough, when the Mudkip looked over to the horizon, the sunset was just that. Deep orange light spread across the land, the sun halfway set, glowing in the evening light. The waves reflected the orange light, sending flashes of rainbow coloured light onto the pier. "Look, the Krabby are blowing bubbles tonight," Ozzy mentioned, pointing ahead of them.

Turning to the ocean, Ewan could see the little bubbles floating along the breeze, and far off on the shore, the Krabby were using their bubble attack to blow them. For a moment, Ewan sat there, transfixed on the bubbles that were floating around them, wanting to reach out and touch them.

"You know Ewan, since you're a water type, you could easily learn how to blow bubbles like the Krabby... Wouldn't that be cool, you could make your own bubbles for the sunset," Ozzy mused, eyes still fixed on the bubbles.

"I never actually thought about it..."  _Right. I'm still a Mudkip, and I guess I'd have to learn some attacks sooner or later. But... It feels so weird, I mean, the lack of hands is weird enough, but then being able to shoot bubbles from my mouth? It could be pretty fun. I wonder..._

"I love this sight. Back in Coral Town, the Krabby there blew bubbles out into the ocean, and it looked stunning, but here... It looks... Beautiful..." Ozzy watched, shiny-eyed, waiting for the sunset to end, and for the bubbles to vanish. "I want to remember this moment..." He paused for a moment, before turning to his friend. "Ewan?"

"Huh, yeah Ozzy?" The Mudkip replied, raising his head to look at the Treecko.

"Thanks... For today, I mean... It's been a lot of fun, more fun than I've had in a long time. I just want to cherish this moment before I head off..." Ozzy sighed, looking into Ewan's eyes.

"I-I-I'm honoured," Ewan mumbled, looking down at the ground. "But, what do you mean, 'head off'?"

"E-Ewan... It's time we part ways. I helped you out, brought you to the safest place in the region... I have things I have to do here, and you can't exactly come with me..." Ozzy turned away for a moment, letting the words sink in for the Mudkip.

As soon as the words began to take effect, Ewan felt himself deflating inside. The one person that he actually trusted in this world, and one of the only people he's talked to, and they wanted to just leave him... He guessed it made sense, but he only wished it could wait a little longer...

"Oh... Okay," He sighed, defeated. "So what are you going to do then Ozzy?"

"Well, I've been training for a while, but I've travelled here for intense training. I want to join the Destiny Team Training Guild here, make a name for myself, help the world, that kind of stuff," Ozzy described with a sombre smile. "This is something I've been working towards for a long time, and I'll finally get the chance to fulfil my dream."

Ewan smiled for a moment, thinking about what Ozzy said.

_'Helping Pokémon... That's so noble of him. He's willing to brave the mystery dungeons to save some poor Pokémon who ended up there. He must have some real guts to do it...'_

"You should do fine. I mean, you helped me out in that dungeon today, right?" He said, looking at the Treecko with a supportive grin. The Treecko looked back, a small smile etched on his face. "I guess I should get going then... I'm not sure where I'll go, but my only option will be to find out why I got turned into a Mudkip... I'll miss you though."

"Same here... Seriously Ewan, you've been a great friend today... I'll miss you while I'm training." The Treecko then stood up, and the two looked at each other for a moment.

**"Good luck!"**

And with that, the two of them walked away. Ozzy headed down the right of the street, while Ewan headed to the left, ready to start their own adventures...

_'Ozzy... I'm gonna miss you. You trusted me, even when I went over the top, or when I acted a little silly... You believed me... I can tell, and I hope you find what you want in your life... Now I've got nothing to do... Where do I start...?'_

The answer had been staring him in the face all along, to be fair. But Ewan never claimed he was a fast learner.

He was at the end of the street when he glanced back to see his friend about to turn the corner. Was he really okay with this? Letting go of the one person who he trusted so far? The answer...

No.

Breaking into a sprint, the last of his energy being placed into this run, he dashed back down the beachfront, past the pier, around various Pokemon in the streets until-

"Ozzy!"

Said Treecko turned to see his Mudkip friend standing behind him, gasping for breath, clearly having just run down a whole street to catch back up to him. "Ewan? What is it?"

"I-I want to join a Destiny Team with you!" Ewan stated, his eyes narrowing as they looked at Ozzy, trying to keep his composure. "I don't know why, but something about it just  _seems_ right. To find out about my past, I need somewhere to start, and since Destiny Teams travel to all sorts of areas, this would be the perfect opportunity for me! I just know that joining a team will help me find out who I am! So, please... Ozzy... You're the only person I can trust in this world, my only friend right now. I need your help! Please!"

There was a pause as Ozzy stared at Ewan, face unreadable. And then...

"Yeah... Okay then."

Ewan's eyes widened, a small grin appearing on his face. "Really?!"

"Of course Ewan," He replied sincerely. "You've got a reason, I've got a reason, and I promised to help you out, didn't I?"

Ewan could only look at this kind Treecko with sparkling eyes. This kindness, in the human world he knows it was rare for people to be this generous, especially to those they've just met. "T-Thank you!"

Ozzy couldn't help but laugh, looking at the Mudkip, who's tail started wagging at the prospect. "Your tail's wagging, y'know!""

Ewan could only smile with glee, not even caring about this new feeling called "tail wagging" and in a sudden move, tackled Ozzy, knocking him down to the floor, yelling, "Thankyouthankyouthankyousooomuch!?" And Ozzy could only grin as the two of them sat there, right where the street met the pier, as the sky began to darken. And for a single second, neither Pokémon could be any happier than they were right then.


	5. A Question of Morals

**Chapter 5 - A Question of Morals**

* * *

**Paradisal Guild**

It was dark in the sky as the two Pokémon happily walked along a path on the outskirts of town. There were fields of flowers, some tall oak trees, and a running river to their left. The wooden huts that Ewan had seen from the hilltop were also scattered across the roadside, and behind the huts were some small farms, each filled with different berries, like pecha berry bushes and oran berry bushes. The Mudkip noticed a pair of Vivilon out picking oran berries as well before one of them flew off in the direction of the hills to the east, presumably to pick up more berries elsewhere.

But the river was the most important feature in the landscape because of where it came from. The water came from the waterfall that Ewan had seen multiple times that day, but what the Mudkip didn't know was that underneath the waterfall, that was where the Paradisal Guild was located.

The Paradisal Guild was a place where Pokémon in the Tempori region got to train to become first-class Destiny Teams. It was one of four specialized facilities around Pepromena, and it was well known for its simple training routine, being able to train almost any level of Pokemon. It was also the best guild out of the four guilds in Pepromena, mainly because the training focussed around a Pokemon's morality and instinct, as well as skill and strength. Many of the famous teams from the Paradisal Guild were teams that followed their guts, teams that had a passion for saving Pokémon, something that seemed to be lacking day after day in the other regions of Pepromena.

As Ewan and Ozzy finally approached the waterfall and the sheer rocky cliffs overlooking the fields, they could make out a large courtyard. There was a large stone wall jutting out from the mountain, curving around to form a circle that kept the inside area concealed behind it. On top of the walls, large torches were lit up in some stone casings, burning in the night sky to signal weary travellers. A large grated gate was placed in the middle of the wall, underneath a smooth stone archway. Grass surrounded the outside of the wall, some flowers growing here and there, while to the exact left of the circular structure, the waterfall was falling. The roar of the waterfall could be heard as the two continued their approach.

As they were around fifteen paces away, Ewan could make out something outside. The figure of a Pokémon could be made out, sitting on a small stone bench outside of the grated gate, keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding areas. And as the two Pokémon got closer, they made out the form of a humanoid canine, about Ozzy's height. It had black and blue patches of skin and large blue ears that dropped from its head. As it saw them, gleaming red eyes caught their own, and the two found themselves rather intimidated. The Pokémon then stood up, appearing fully in the torchlight.

Ewan turned to Ozzy with a questioning look, but his friend had beaten him to the punch. "That's a Riolu, Ewan. It's the pre-evolved form of Lucario," Ozzy murmured, just silently enough so that the Riolu would not hear. "It must be guarding the guild."

The Mudkip nodded silently, turning back towards the Riolu, who narrowed its eyes, giving a questionable glare.

"So, what do you two want? Can't you see it's a little late?" The Riolu's voice sounded more high pitched than the two were expecting, and Ewan quickly figured out why. "What, surprised to see a girl like me training at a guild like this?"

"No, no! Not at all, just surprised to see anybody out here," The Treecko replied quickly stepping forwards with a small smile on his face. "Sorry to bother you so late at night. You see, I've travelled all the way from the west, from the Forests of Rootfern, to get to this guild. I've been wanting to train here for a long time," The Treecko explained, turning to Ewan. "This is Ewan, he's a friend of mine, although we only met very recently."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Ewan greeted, cautiously holding out a paw before realizing that Pokémon probably didn't handshake, and neither did he since he couldn't actually move his paws very well just yet. He felt himself slip to the floor in style, and all he could hear was Ozzy chuckling, though the Riolu seemed less than impressed.

"Hmph, you could have at least came along during the day," The Riolu grumbled, raising a brow at Ewan's spectacular fall. "Your friend's a little weird, you know that," She mentioned, turning away from the two. "Now I have to go and wake up Steel, and he hates being woken up... You guys just.. Uh..." The Riolu paused mid-rant, looking around for a moment, sighing. "Just stand out here, and please, for the love of Arceus, don't touch anything."

As the female Riolu walked away, Ewan had to hold back a small snort at Aura's attitude, but Ozzy only gave him a stare that seemed to say, ' _I know it's funny, but seriously, not the time!'_  He just grinned as the Riolu walked over to the grated gate.

"Hey! Charlie! Open the gate, would ya!" The Riolu slammed her palm against the grating, rattling it slightly, As she waited for a reply, Ewan began to doubt anyone was even up there. But moments later, a thud could be heard and the scrambling of feet on the ground rattled down the grate. "I swear to Arceus, if you've been sleeping Charlie, heads are gonna roll!" Aura slammed her fist against the grating again, but this time there was more force.

"S-sorry! Aura, um, why'd you need the gate open?" A boy's voice replied. Ewan looked up to where he heard the voice, noticing a faint light coming from the top of the wall. It was like someone had just lit a fire up there, but there was no stone casing so it wasn't a torch.

"Charlie, now is not the time to be asking questions!" Aura growled, sighing as she placed a paw to her forehead. "I have a headache, I've been stuck on sentry duty for two nights, just open that damn gate before I climb up there and make you open it!" She slammed her free fist once more against the grating, sending vibrations up the metal to the sentry up top.

"Okay!?" The voice frantically replied, and soon the sound of something turning could be heard. The grates of the gate began to slowly drift upwards, opening for the Riolu, who smiled for a moment, sighing with relief.

"Alright, Charlie, I need you to watch the two 'Mons for me. I don't want them touching anything," Aura shouted as she strode off into the guild, being swallowed by the darkness of the night.

"Okay, take your time Aura!" The voice of Charlie replied. Soon enough, a small orange figure poked his head over the wall. His eyes scanned the two Pokémon before they lit up with joy. "Oh cool, a Mudkip, and a Treecko too!? We don't see many of your kind around these parts! W-wait there!" The orange Pokémon seemed really excited, and a few moments later, there was a small thud, followed by small footsteps.

Out of the grating walked a Charmander, a tail flame burning brightly as he looked at the two Pokémon outside. His eyes were bright orange, and he was smiling excitedly. His tail was also wagging, the flame swishing left and right in an almost mesmerizing fashion to the Mudkip. He was wearing a bright red bandana around his head, so you couldn't see the top, and he was shaking and trembling. He was also wearing a bright orange necklace, which seemed to glow in the dim light.

"Uh... Hi, are you a recruit here?" Ozzy asked, looking at the Charmander expectantly.

"Sure am! Me, Aura, and our two other friends have been here for just a while now. Well, Aura was here before we arrived but she joined and, you don't care about that stuff. We've only got about a month to go before we can try to graduate! It's so exciting!" The Charmander replied quickly, a grin etched across his face as he thought about his training. "Although I'd rather pass on the sentry duty." He quickly motioned to the perch that he was sitting in before. "Aura's lucky, she gets to look around at the view, I'm stuck in a stone room. Just cause she's team leader."

"Oh, you and Aura are part of the same team? I mean, she seemed a little rude to you, ya know..." Ozzy chuckled.

"That's nothing," Charlie laughed. "She's just a little on edge. Since she's our team leader, if something goes wrong, she has to take responsibility... And she was put on guard duty for two nights after a slip in a dungeon recently so she's been a little antsy."

Ewan took a look around the countryside for a moment, then averted his eyes to where Aura was first sitting. ' _There really isn't much out here to watch. It must be a pretty draining job to have to do guard duty.'_

"But what about you Treecko? The last Treecko Evolution Line clan I heard of in the Tempori Region had sticks so far up their-"

"Look, that doesn't matter, okay. I'm well aware of how my family are perceived and I'd rather not be lumped in with them." Ozzy interrupted, closing his eyes for a second to focus. "Anyway my name's Ozzy, and this is Ewan."

"Well, it's great to meet you guys. You might be at a disadvantage here though, most teams have four members, you only have two," Charlie frowned, taking a look back in the direction of Paradisal Town. "You might be better off at a battle dojo."

"No way! We're here to become an Arcean Rank Destiny Team!" Ozzy grinned, eyes in admiration at the prospect.

"Aren't we all... Aren't we all..." Charlie whistled as he then turned to Ewan, taking a look at the Mudkip who stared back in apprehension. "Your friend... How did you meet him?"

Ewan's eyes glanced to Ozzy, the Treecko nodding slowly. The Mudkip took a breath before speaking, though he hesitated for a moment. There was something about the look Charlie was giving him, something  _off._ "I-I saved his life in a thunderstorm, about a week ago. I got zapped myself, and he's been helping me ever since."

The Charmander stared for a moment, looking straight into Ewan's eyes before letting a grin slip across his face. "Knew it, you guys don't look too comfortable with each other, although there's definitely the makings of a long friendship there," The fire type mused to himself, before he turned away, while Ozzy gave him a bemused stare.

"What do you mean,  _you guys don't look too comfortable with each other_?" The Treecko took a step towards the Charmander, brows raised as he hoped to get his answer.

Neither of them expected Charlie to start laughing though. It started so deathly quiet, but his laugh began to grow until it could be heard throughout the outside of the Guild. Ewan felt a bead of sweat drop from his fin.  _'Are all Pokemon this weird? Seriously, who laughs like that?'_ "Um... Charlie? You okay?"

The Charmander merely looked at the Mudkip with glee. It was like he had just told a joke or something. "Oh boy, you guys make me laugh! It's so obvious that you both aren't too comfortable with each other and it makes sense, you've only known each other for a week according to Ewan," He said, finally calming his laughter down. "Although, between you and me, I can sense it more than others." The Charmander winked to the pair, before continuing his monologue, a smirk appearing on his face. "I have a gift, the gift to sense the friendship between the two of you. From what I can gather, there is some trust there, but you both have some  _doubts_  about the other. You'll need to work on that if you want to be a Destiny Team."

"H-how can you s-sense all of that?!" Ewan gasped, eyes widened in surprise. Ozzy just looked on in thoughtful silence.

"As I said, it's a gift I've had since I was born. It comes in handy when it comes to things like rating friendships or...  _m_ _atchmaking_ ," The Charmander said, whispering that last word with a wink, making Ewan's face turn a bright red while Ozzy seemed to be staring furiously at the floor after that comment, as if it was going to swallow him up. "I'm just kidding you two, lighten up," Charlie laughed, walking up to the Mudkip, getting ready to pat him on the back for a joke well done.

**"Charlie! Why are you not at your post?"**

The three Pokémon's eyes turned towards the gate where two figures had just emerged. Standing there was Aura, but she wasn't the one who spoke. It was the rather intimidating Bisharp standing right next to her that had barked the commands. The Bisharp's blades glowed in the moonlight, shining brightly as the Pokémon raised them towards Charlie. "You were put up there for a reason Charlie. You control the gates of this guild. What if an outlaw were to break in while you were conversing with some travelling Pokémon outside? What if you left the gates open at night and fell asleep? We cannot afford to have any mistakes from you, as a guard."

His words seemed to cut straight into Charlie, who's previously happy demeanour changed in an instant, Charlie looking at the ground now for a moment, a rather downcast look appearing on his face.

The Bisharp then turned to Aura, who was looking at the steel type with a nervous glance. "Aura, since you've done your job correctly, I'm giving you back your night's rest. Charlie, you'll be spending the next two nights on guard duty outside, while I get some of the older recruits to help out with the gate. Do you understand?"

Charlie nodded as the Bisharp turned away from him. "Aura, you are dismissed. Charlie, stay out here while I talk with these travellers." Finally, the Bisharp turned towards Ozzy and Ewan, who were waiting with bated breath. "So, you must be the travellers Aura spoke of. Come in, please, I am more than willing to talk to you, despite this late hour. I am Steel, and I run the Paradisal Guild."

Steel then turned away, walking back through the grated gate, while motioning for the two to follow, which they did rather nervously.

As Ewan stepped through the grated gate, he finally managed to make out the courtyard inside the guild's walls. Both sides of the courtyard were completely mirrored, but he was surprised that rather than stone flooring, the courtyard was filled with grass. There were two apple trees hanging over the entrance to the mountain by the waterfall, while two small streams, one on the left and one on the right, flowed across the edge of the pathway in a straight line, heading towards the grated gate, where they fell into pipes. To the left, a large board could be seen with papers littered across it, while to the right, another board with a large map stood. It was a map of the Pepromena Continent and next to it was an enlarged map of the Tempori Region.

"I must confess, I wasn't expecting any sort of visitor this night," The Bisharp said, still walking ahead of the two through the garden area. "But I hear from Aura that you both wish to become recruits here at the Guild. Is this information correct?"

"Yeah," Ozzy replied. "It's been a dream of mine for a long time. I've been working on stronger for years but I knew if I stayed home, I'd never progress in my training. So I decided to come here."

"I can see that you want this dream, Treecko. No doubt you have the makings of a recruit, but your friend here, I'm more curious about his motivations." Ewan felt himself tense up for a moment, feeling Steel's eyes bore into his despite them not even facing each other. What was the Bisharp playing at?

"You mean me... Don't you..." Ewan stated, turning to Ozzy, who had a look of concern in his eyes. Steel was still walking, not turning around in the slightest.

"That is correct, Mudkip. I was listening to your conversation with Charlie about the trust he sees in you both. It is a raw emotion and for trust to be effective it needs to be sharpened. Even then, I am concerned with your demeanour. You seem to have no problems with your Treecko friend putting words into your mouth. From what I heard of your conversation, you have not once stated that you have a dream to join this Guild yourself, yet here you are. Why is that?"

Ewan gulped for a second, slowing his pace to a stop as they reached the edge of the garden, just underneath the branches of the apple trees. He saw the intimidating Steel turn towards him, and as he looked into the eyes of the Pokémon, he found himself at a loss for words.

"I-Uh... Well... er..." He mumbled, looking down at the ground embarrassingly.

"I'm afraid that if you don't have an answer, I cannot allow you to join this Guild. I would rather bring in recruits that I know want this dream, as opposed to Pokémon who were dragged here by a friend. I see no further reason to discuss this matter further, I'm afraid." And it was over that quickly, for Steel had already turned away to view Ozzy. "Treecko, though your friend has been rejected, I do see potential in you. If you will it, I will allow you to join my guild, and we can set you up with a training team."

"I... Well..."

Ozzy seemed oddly nervous about being accepted into the guild, the Treecko glancing over to his friend with an expression of guilt.

And then Ewan felt something inside of him. It was just a sudden feeling, but the emotion that came with it was enough to make him look up, step forward and shout, "I'm not going to accept that answer!" There was silence for a moment, and then the Bisharp stopped, not bothering to turn back to the Ewan, still looking over at Ozzy.

"And why is that, Mudkip?" It was a simple question from Steel, but this time, Ewan had an answer.

"Well, I've not exactly had the best luck over the past week. I was caught in a thunderstorm, zapped by a bolt of lightning while trying to save my friend here, forced to journey to Paradisal Town... And you know what, I think it was all a good thing. I use the word  _forced_  lightly. You see, Ozzy wanted to escort me to Paradisal so that I would be safe since he made a promise to help me after I saved his life. I've got problems of my own, and I need to find out answers to those problems, and in my eyes, the best way to do that is to join a Destiny Team."

Though as the words left his lips, a tension suddenly filled the air, and for a brief moment, he felt like he had ignited the wrath of the Bisharp.

"So you wish to become a recruit purely for selfish reasons. I thought that you might actually have had a satisfying answer. If all you seek is the knowledge of yourself then this is not the place for you. Here at the Paradisal Guild, we practise the arts of  **teamwork**. Something you evidently do not have." This Bisharp turned around, facing the Mudkip, voice risen slightly. "Did you not think to take into consideration your friend, and potential teammate? You thought you would use his dream as a means to an end. To do something like that... That is the lowest of the low."

The Bisharp quickly stormed over to Ewan, approaching with surprising speed. "Even if your friend was willing to help you in your endeavours, that would still not make it right. Because then you would be shirking work for personal matters. To be on a Destiny Team means to help others over yourself. The Paradisal Guild is about the soul, about emotion and inner power, not a place where you can lounge around trying to figure out some silly personal issues!"

"That's not what I-"

"Tell me then, what did you mean? How else should I read into your answer, Mudkip?" Steel interrupted, his steely gaze biting into Ewan's expression.

The silence following Steel's reply spoke volumes.

"Mudkip, I do not believe you are a bad Pokemon. If your story is true, you saved this Treecko from a fatal strike. But you have much to learn of this world and until you can put aside your personal goals, I cannot accept you here, regardless of your potential." At this Steel turned away from Ewan, his voice laced with tough understanding, turning back to Ozzy. "You never gave me an answer, Treecko. Will you accept my proposal?"

"A-Actually, no, I can't," Ozzy announced, Ewan looking at his friend in genuine shock. "I promised Ewan I'd help him out, and after exploring with him today, I can't see anyone else next to me when I start my own Destiny Team. So I can't accept your request at this time, Steel."

"O-Ozzy," Ewan stammered, shaking his head. "I'm not worth it. Follow your dream, please."

Ozzy only gave Ewan a wistful smile, shaking his head. "Destiny Teams help people. You still need help, so I can't just leave you."

"Ozzy..."

Steel folded his bladed arms, looking to Ozzy with an unreadable expression. Was it anger at passing up a chance, or something else, neither Pokemon could tell. "In that case, you both need to leave. Mudkip, if you can find an answer to my question, I'll allow you to become a new recruit here at our Guild."

Ewan could only nod, turning back to the gate and the outside of the courtyard as Steel watched them leave, Ozzy padding along behind him.

And with that, they were left in the darkness once more. Charlie watched from the seat Aura once sat in, watching the two with saddened looks, but as they finally picked themselves up, Ewan noticed him looking at them with a thoughtful gaze. Was he expecting more from them? Or was he also appalled by how Ewan answered? Whatever the case, they couldn't return until he knew his true answer. He closed his eyes, taking a few steps away from the guild, and with Ozzy in tow, headed off into the night.

* * *

**Paradisal Fields**

The two Pokémon sat under a tall oak tree in the fields by Paradisal Town and it had been a quiet journey there. All that was heard on their walk was the crunch of grass, the chirping of nocturnal insects, and the rustle of leaves on the wind. The Treecko that Ewan had befriended was currently lying against the tree, eyes shut, deep in thought, trying to comprehend what had happened.

Ewan felt it best not to talk to his " _friend_ " for the time being, since it had obviously been a dream for Ozzy to join the guild. He had travelled a long way, or so he said, to reach Paradisal Town, and now he was willingly refusing to join the Guild, all because of a selfish Mudkip he met along the way. It was an understatement to say that Ewan felt absolutely terrible... But at the same time, he saw the reasoning of the Bisharp.

Had he really wanted to join a Destiny Team because of his own free will, or was it just Ozzy putting ideas into his head? He wanted nothing more than to have some sort of a purpose, and to find out his past, but his mind always wandered to possible outcomes. What if his past wasn't what he wanted it to be? What if he had committed a crime, or had nothing to go back to? He scrunched up his eyes for a moment to try and focus, taking a deep sigh of frustration as his thoughts grew incredibly cumbersome.

"Ewan," Ozzy softly spoke, the Treecko opening his eyes to face the Mudkip. "Steel was right. I've been pushing you towards joining a Destiny Team all day, with all of the talks about ranks, and exploring... I feel like crap..."

"Don't... I'm just a selfish Mudkip who can't think about anything but his own safety. I wanted to join for all of the wrong reasons Ozzy. What does that say about me as a person?" Ewan replied bitterly. The Mudkip stood up from his small space by the tree, taking a few steps into the grass. "You were doing better without me, you know. If I wasn't here, you'd already be in your dream guild, living your dream."

"But I was being selfish too. I talked you into something, and then when the time came for us to part, my ideas must have hung around in your head long enough for you to think up your reasons... It's my fault..." The Mudkip turned to look at Ozzy, before turning away, shaking his head.

It was then that Ozzy noticed Ewan was trembling and shaking. Moments later, the small sound of sobbing filled the air. As Ewan finally started to accept how selfish he had been, it seemed as if a dam had broken. And inside that dam was holding back a bucket load of tears... Just waiting to fall.

"Why are you trying to take the blame for all of this?" Ewan suddenly cried out, tears streaming down his face as he did so. "I'm the one who didn't get accepted, I'm the one who was selfish! You turned down your dream just for me and I don't get it! Why would you do that?"

The Mudkip visibly jumped when he felt a paw on his shoulder, and he turned to see his friend looking at him, a look of genuine concern on his face. "E-Ewan? Why are you crying?" He asked, pulling the Mudkip close into a hug. "Stop taking the blame for it all. We both said some stupid things, and we both made some silly mistakes... We both messed up, not just one of us, both of us... I should have stood up for you when Steel was talking you down, but I didn't. And really, who wants to join a lousy guild if they don't have a friend by their side?" Ewan just buried his head into Ozzy's chest, letting the tears fall. "It was like Charlie said. There's something to us, but not much... We couldn't even figure out why we wanted to be on a Destiny Team together. But I think we can now. We have to work together, not use each other as we have been."

"You never used me," Ewan muttered.

"No, I did. I used you as a way to justify why I deserved to be on a Destiny Team. I've been bringing up saving you from that forest all day, if I really wanted to be selfless, I wouldn't keep bringing it up."

Ewan couldn't deny that. Damn, even though Ozzy technically got accepted, they really were as bad as each other. "Ozzy, just promise me something," He muttered, wiping away some tears from his eyes as he did so. "I-If things go south again and I don't get accepted again, take his offer."

"Only if you promise that next time we go to the Guild, you get accepted," Ozzy replied back with a smile.

Ewan couldn't help but chuckle through the tears. "It's a deal."


	6. Rescue Mission!

**Chapter 6 - Rescue Mission!**

* * *

**Paradisal Fields**

Ewan lazily opened up his eyes, squinting as he felt the faint sunlight blind him for the second morning in a row. Blinking for a second, he felt himself grow accustomed to the light, and he finally allowed himself to look around, noticing the sun was just coming up across the horizon. The sun glimmered, the sky glowing a hue of blue and yellow as a cloud passed over the sun, causing some shade to cover the countryside.

Speaking of covers, Ewan's eyes drifted down to his own body where he could see a small cloth cover draped across him. For a moment, he was confused. He hadn't fallen asleep with a cover on, and he certainly didn't own a cover, or anything aside from his scarf, for that matter. It was only when he turned to see his friend next to him, hugging the small scraps of cloth, that the Mudkip understood. He let a small smile drift across his face as he looked at the sleeping Treecko, his chest rising up and down, deeply asleep.

_'Heh... He's sleeping so peacefully for someone who just turned down his dream job. Still, I feel pretty guilty about tearing him away from his dreams like that, even if it was his choice to stay with me. I can't believe I cried though, I guess I was more invested in this whole guild thing than I thought...'_

He turned his head back to the Treecko, who was still sleeping quietly, a sombre smile drifting across his face.

_'Still, I'm pretty sure I wasn't this emotional as a human. It feels weird. Maybe it's a Pokemon thing? Or maybe it's because Ozzy's the only person I really know given the amnesia... Gah, this is confusing, I need to get up!'_

Quickly wriggling free of the cover, Ewan's thrashing was enough to cause his scarf to slide off of his neck, slipping down onto the grass as he moved to stretch his legs. Apparently, it hadn't been fastened on well enough, and once it was detached from him, he suddenly felt a little less energetic. The scarf must have had some energy stored inside of it. ' _Hmmm... Maybe a neck scarf isn't the best idea... I'll ask Ozzy later.'_

His eyes turned to his friend once more. His friend was so sleepy, and no matter how much Ewan wanted to just sit there and watch his friend sleep - as creepy as that seemingly was - he needed to wake the grass type up.

Turning to the tree they were sleeping under, he noticed that there were some apples growing in the branches just above where they were sleeping and he could see some rather large red apples hanging just above Ozzy's head. And then he got a plan, a hilariously evil little plan. ' _Ozzy's never gonna know what hit him!'_  Those apples looked tempting... But how was he going to get them out of the branches? The idea came to him the moment the question entered his mind, and he felt instinct kicking in.

It only lasted for a second, but he quickly pounced towards the tree, slamming his head into the bark. It took him a moment to register what he had done, and how his head didn't actually hurt too much. But he felt himself freeze when he heard a loud thud and a sudden wail.

"W-WHAT'S GOING ON!? WHAT HIT ME!?" Ozzy cried out, jumping up from his slumber in seconds, clutching his head, wincing from the sudden pain. His eyes darted around, quickly noticing the apple in front of him, confusion setting in. "What? It was... an apple?" It was only then that he saw Ewan standing near the tree bark, and although Ewan couldn't see, there were some slight marks around his head fin that Ozzy was quick to notice. Ozzy's eyes narrowed as they met Ewan's own and for a moment there was only tension. "You son of a -"

"I can explain!?" Ewan interrupted, giving a sheepish grin, like a kid who had just been caught stealing food from the fridge. "I just wanted to grab some food an-"

"You did it on purpose!" The Treecko exclaimed, storming towards his friend with an all-too-real look of irritation plastered across his face.

"I-It was a joke, that's all," Ewan stammered, stumbling backwards until he felt himself backed up against the tree.

Ozzy's face was unreadable at that, but a moment later the Treecko backed off, shrugging. "I go and give you a cover to sleep under and  _this_ _injury_  is what I get," The Treecko sighed dramatically.

"Wha- Don't be like that, Ozzy? Ozzzzzy?" Ewan groaned, finally realizing that somehow his prank had backfired into him being the mocked Pokemon in the situation.

That was when Ozzy glanced to the ground by Ewan's feet, noticing the blue scarf from the day before had slipped off. "Hey, did your scarf fall off?"

"It fell off onto the floor when I was waking up, wasn't fastened well enough," The Mudkip replied, taking a look at the aqua blue scarf that was still sitting on the grass. "I guess I'll just leave it off for a bit." Ozzy just shrugged, walking over to pick up the falling scarf before stuffing it into his pouch, along with the cover that Ewan had been sleeping under.

"Did you buy that cover yesterday?" Ewan asked curiously as Ozzy stuffed it into the enchanted pouch.

The Treecko paused for a moment, before quickly replying, "Nah, I uh, brought it from home."

Ozzy didn't seem to want to say more about the subject though, and from the brief moments he'd mentioned his homelife, Ewan was pretty sure the less said the better. "Cool, let's get going then."

* * *

**One Hour Later**

The two Pokémon found themselves wasting the rest of the early morning roaming around the countryside, trying to figure out something to do. Ewan needed to come up with an answer that would satisfy Steel so he and Ozzy could officially join the Paradisal Guild, but after a few hours, they were still no closer to an answer than they had been when they woke up. "This is getting us nowhere," Ewan finally announced after their fifth lap of the closest oran berry field.

"Well, do you have any ideas that could help us get closer towards becoming a Destiny Team?" Ozzy asked, turning to look at his friend as they walked along the dirt road.

"I'm really not sure," Ewan replied. "I still feel like a stranger in this world, and I'm still trying to comprehend that this is actually happening..."

Ozzy folded his arms thoughtfully at that, "Maybe we should focus on getting you used to some of Pepromena's rules?" Ozzy suggested. "I said I'd help you out, after all."

"I still think you should have said yes to becoming a Destiny Team though," Ewan frowned, though before Ozzy could reply back, a high-pitched voice cut through the air.

_"Did you two say Destiny Team?"_

The two quickly span around to where the source of the voice was coming from, noticing that they had begun to stroll past one of the wooden huts dotting the roads. Though their eyes were locked onto the Pokemon perched outside. It looked like a bug type, similar to a butterfly. Its wings were outstretched, and there was a mix of greens, pinks, and an assortment of reds and yellows in between the two other colours. The reds and yellows seemed to make little squares in the pattern, while the pink decorated the part of the wing closest to the body, the green decorating the wing tips.

"Woah, you're a fancy pattern Vivillon!" Ozzy exclaimed, taking a step towards the Pokemon now known as a Vivillon, who smiled sweetly as they approached. "I've never seen a Fancy Pattern before. Where I come from, we only have Jungle Pattern Vivillon!" Ozzy quickly ran up to the bug type, eyes glistening with awe.

"Oh, well I'm honoured by your reaction. I know I'm very rare you see, so I'm quite used to people's surprise by now. Some even mistake me for being a shiny Pokémon every now and again," The Vivilon chuckled, beating her wings for a moment to float on down towards the two Pokemon.

"So, you said something about a Destiny Team, Vivilon?" Ewan asked, trying to get the talk back on point. They had things to do today, after all.

"Oh yes, I forgot! I'm a little forgetful, sorry... The thing is, I really need the help of a Destiny Team right away!"

"Why, what's wrong?" Ozzy asked, concerned. Ewan looked on at the Vivillon, impatience kicking in.

"Oh, well yesterday night, my Vivillon Friend, Marie, said she was going to go across the hills over there to get some pecha berries for a nice stew. But she hasn't returned, and I'm really afraid for her safety. You see, just near the Pecha Forest, there's a mystery dungeon."

"No way!" Ozzy gasped. "This close to the town?"

"It appeared a few weeks ago. We were told it wasn't as dangerous as some of the other dungeons nearby, but it's still very bad. It's full of grass and flying types, so I can't go in there to search for Marie on my own, or I might get hurt, which is why I need a Destiny Team to help me out!" The Vivilon looked to the floor for a moment, before murmuring. "I sent a request to the guild last night, but nobody's contacted me about it..."

Ewan cringed as he heard this, knowing that there was a chance that their excursion to the Guilt the night before may have distracted the guild members to the point where they may have missed out on this Vivillon's request.

"We were at the guild last night, just as they locked down the gates though. Unless it came too late for the guild to collect the letter..." Ozzy replied, deep in thought. The Treecko looked over to Ewan, then to the Vivillon, his eyes lighting up for a moment as if he realized something important. "Ewan, we should go save Marie!"

The Vivillon's eyes widened at the suggestion, surprise etched across her face. "Huh, you mean you'll go and find her for me? But I couldn't ask you both to do that for me? You must be busy."

"Yeah Ozzy, we are a little busy. I thought we were going to go over something a bit simpler than a mystery dungeon today, and I still need to figure out what I want to say to Steel," Ewan pointed out, but Ozzy merely waved him off with an eye roll.

"Ewan, we can figure all that stuff out after. We have to help this Vivillon's friend out!" The Treecko exclaimed. "We can't just leave a poor Vivillon in those woods alone, especially with the flying types about. So let's go!"

"Oh thank you so much! Please come back with Marie soon, we'd really like to finish that stew," Vivillon chirped, turning towards the hut where the sound of boiling water could be heard. "I've been keeping the stew cool all night so I can heat it when Marie comes home. She'll love it, I know that much."

"Don't worry miss, your friend is going to be okay," Ozzy shouted confidently.

And with that, Ozzy strolled out of the doorway with a rather discontent Mudkip in tow. The moment the two began to head towards the Pecha Forest though, Ewan turned to face Ozzy, a slight scowl on his face. "What about Steel, Ozzy? We still need to come up with an answer, and you've dragged us into a request!"

"Oh relax Ewan, I mean, we're technically doing a rescue mission right now, which is what any Destiny Team would do," Ozzy pointed out, smirking as they walked up to a grassy hillside. How could he be so lighthearted about all of this?

"But we aren't a Destiny Team yet Ozzy, that's why we need to  **go to Steel.** " Ewan huffed for a moment, waiting for a reply. He didn't get one though, because Ozzy was too busy walking on ahead, humming a small tune as he went. "Are you even listening to me?"

"It sounds like you aren't listening to me Ewan," The Treecko snapped back, his voice suddenly a lot more serious. "You're sounding super whiny. You don't know what to say to Steel and us walking around all day wasn't helping. I said I'd help you, and this is going to help!"

Ewan really wasn't sure how to take that remark. He was whiny, and Ozzy had no problems just blurting that out to him. And there had to be better ideas than choosing to conquer a dungeon for his second day as a Pokemon. But that thought did sound whiny... Was he a whiny human? Was he not a good person?  _'Okay, calm down Ewan. Just focus, we can focus on Ozzy's words later, let's just do this mission like Ozzy wants, get the Vivillon home, then figure out what I'm going to say to Steel.'_

"I see the Pecha Forest," His friend pointed out, breaking the Mudkip out of his stupor.

He couldn't hold back his surprise, noticing the large expanse of trees ahead of them. Bright pink fruits were hanging from the branches and all around there was a rather comforting scent about the place. Ewan assumed it had to be the smell of the pecha berries. He took a step forward, noticing the grass sloping downwards into the trees, the blades turning a darker green the further down they went.

"Ewan... Look at the leaves," Ozzy whispered, taking a few steps down the hill, the Mudkip in tow.

Ewan took his gaze from the dark patches of grass to see the leaves on the trees. Sure enough, they were a much darker green than trees from the surrounding area, but there was something else. His eyes drifted past the pecha fruit, and it was then that he saw it. "Purple leaves?"

"You know what this means, right... We're near an anomaly..."

"A Mystery Dungeon," Ewan gulped, taking another step forward. "Should we go in?" He hadn't been feeling this nervous before getting to the area, but now he was actually willingly entering a dungeon, it seemed to hit him in full force. "Ozzy... I-I'm not sure about this." He was basically two days old, this couldn't end well.

He felt a hand on his fin, and he looked to see Ozzy standing beside him. "Ewan, we have to do this. I-I'm a little scared actually, but we need to save Marie."

Feeling Ozzy's reassurance, Ewan gave a nod, deciding to get his head in the game. He needed to focus on this rescue, not on Steel, or the guild. Just the Vivillon that needed rescuing. "Alright then. I'm with you, Ozzy."

* * *

**Pecha Forest S1**

The moment they entered the boundaries of the dungeon, the land seemed to shift. Trees were suddenly a lot more cramped together, the canopy becoming much darker as the leaves began to block off the sunlight. The sky seemed to turn a slight tint of magenta, but weirdest of all would be the pecha berries. It was as if they had all melted, because instead of the bright pink berries adorning the trees, there were instead pink coloured leaves, although they were more of a hot magneta than bright pink.

For some reason, the colour seemed to give the area an eerie look, and Ewan found himself trembling slightly. He felt Ozzy's presence behind him, which barely calmed him, but at least he had entered with Ozzy this time, unlike yesterday when he was thrust in with no warning. It was much better to start the journey with a friend, than alone, lost and confused, like at Forest Hill.

"So where do we find the Vivillon?" Ewan asked quietly, eyes straying to the dark spots in the tree roots. He had the weirdest suspicion that they were being watched. If he had hairs on his neck, they would be standing up from the cold chills that were running down his spine.

"Well, I'm not sure. You see, she could be on any of the floors of the dungeon. I'm pretty sure this is a shorter dungeon though," Ozzy explained, pointing up to the sky. "You see, the sky changes colour, depending on the number of floors in a dungeon. Nobody knows why, but for what we need to know, magenta is meant to be around 3 floors to 5 floors, or in our case, sectors."

Ewan let his gaze run back up to the sky once more. Despite the magenta tint, something else seemed a little off, like the entire realm was just dangerously unnatural. He had the same sort of feeling back at the Forest Hill dungeon, but it seemed to be a little stronger here. "So should we get moving then?"

"Sure thing, let's go!" Ozzy stated, walking forwards towards a pathway on their left with a bravado Ewan couldn't match quite yet. Ewan could see that the trees began to bunch up on these paths, just like the dungeon from the day before, except this time it was a lot darker walking the halls. There was no sunlight in the hallway, instead, the only light coming from some luminescent plants that shimmered with pink light, although it was rather faint. "These plants... They're like torches," The grass type murmured, hurrying past them, Ewan hot on his heels.

The pathway split off into two directions at the end of the hall, and the two decided to go left until they either found the Vivillon, a dead end, or the pillar that took them to the next sector. Soft cries of wild Pokémon could be heard in the distance, but there were none close by, which Ewan was thankful for. The dungeon was seemingly like a normal forest if you ignored the colour changes, although it did feel a little bit murky to the Mudkip if you took the time to really feel the atmosphere. It felt almost poisoned... It was ironic considering pecha berries were made to cure poison, and yet this place stemmed from an orchard of those berries.

They finally emerged into a large room, where Ewan was the first to notice something to his left. On the floor, a small collection of coins sat, all of them engraved with a large "P". The Mudkip motioned to the Treecko, who saw the pile of coins and let out a small squeal of delight.

"Ewan, this is money! There's about 500 poké here, and it's ours now!" Ozzy was already chucking the coins into his pouch when Ewan got his reply out.

"You mean, you can just find money in dungeons now? How'd it get here though, the Vivillon said this dungeon only appeared a little while ago?"

The Treecko continued walking on ahead, but not before giving Ewan another lesson in dungeon theory. "Well, some believe that the mystery dungeons are all connected. But the truth is, or at least the truth I believe is, that when a traveller is defeated in a dungeon, it's common knowledge that they lose half of their items and all of their money. I think that the money and items they use are spread throughout the dungeon for other travellers to find."

Ewan's eyes widened at this, and he stared at the few coins still in Ozzy's hand. "S-so someone dropped that money when they were... d-defeated here?" This just brought a whole new feeling into the mix. Before, exploring just felt a little ominous, but somehow knowing that their items could end up on the ground if they fainted, just waiting for others to find them, that worried him. What if it was an important item, like their scarves?

"It's a risky business going into dungeons, Ewan. That's why people don't bring everything they own into a tough dungeon so that at least they'll have items and money to fall back on." And with that, the Treecko began walking on ahead, eyes darting left and right, in case of any ambushes.

"No risk, no reward... great," Ewan sighed, walking on after Ozzy, hoping to dear god they wouldn't meet any wild Pokémon while out and about.

The two continued their trek through the dungeon, finally coming across the pillar in the next room and, without hesitation, the two Pokémon made their way towards it.

"You see Ewan, most rescue missions happen on lower floors because the Pokémon in need of help generally tries to find the pillars to possibly escape. It has happened before to some Pokemon, and those guys were seriously lucky. But some people get trapped in dungeons for days, and if left for too long, they may become feral... or worse..." With that ominous statement, Ozzy placed his palm on the pillar to get it to move. Ewan moved as close to it as possible, and the two found themselves being transported along to the next sector.

* * *

**Pecha Forest S2**

For the next thirty minutes, the two Pokémon found themselves wandering along in the maze of foliage corridors, having no luck in finding the Vivillon so far. It was only as they began to search for the exit pillar to the second floor that things started to take a more sinister turn. The two Pokémon walked down yet another hallway, Ewan noticing that there were more flowers in the shrubbery this time, only they seemed a little too exotic to be natural. One flower, in particular, a large blue flower, with blood red petals and a bright blue stem, seemed to give Ewan the creeps as he looked at it.

"O-Ozzy? I've got a bad feeling," Ewan whispered, his friend replying back in a serious tone.

"Agreed. Something seems very off in this dungeon, more so than any other dungeon I've heard of or read about..."

The razor leaf sliced through the air so fast that Ewan barely had time to react, one moment listening to Ozzy, the next whirling around as the sound of rustling went off behind him. He quickly felt a leaf slice into his side and pain shot up his torso like a speeding bullet.

"Ewan! Hold on!" He heard Ozzy shout, and he turned to see his friend rapidly firing what seemed to be seeds out of his mouth. They flew through the air in the direction of the razor leaf, and a small cry could be heard as they made contact with the assaulter. From the bushes, a small Bellsprout slipped into view, already knocked out from the seeds Ozzy had shot. "Bullet seed, one of the attacks I learned while training back home!"

"T-That was amazing Ozzy," Ewan gasped, wincing slightly at his side wound, but within a few steps, the stinging began to fade away, Ewan glancing to see the wound was already beginning to close up. "Huh, the wound's healing?"

"You have accelerated healing in dungeons. I think it's something to do with a temporal shift? Whatever that means," Ozzy explained, turning to face the unconscious Bellsprout. "Poor Pokémon. It must have been a feral..."

"It looks dead," The Mudkip noted, gulping slowly. "You didn't kill it, did you?"

"Nope, it's just fainted Ewan, don't worry," The Treecko relievingly smiled. "It takes more than a few attacks to kill a Pokémon."

With that, Ewan felt a little more secure. At least he wouldn't get killed in one attack, but he needed to be a lot more careful. There could be Pokémon ready to ambush them anywhere. Ozzy continued walking forwards, motioning for Ewan to follow, and as they entered into a clearing, they noticed the pillar to the next sector on the far side of the room.

"Finally, next sector, here we come," Ewan sighed, taking a few steps forwards.

**SLICE**

The vine whip was so sudden that Ewan felt himself trip forwards, and by the sounds of it, so did Ozzy. ' _Gah, fool me once, shame on you... Fool me twice... This Pokémon's gonna pay!'_ Ewan quickly picked himself up, turning to face the Pokémon that had whipped him, only to see a rather large Ivysaur crouching in the corner to the left of where they had entered, eyes glowing a slight red, a rather crooked smile on its face. He heard Ozzy gasp when he saw it.

"Ewan, that Ivysaur, he'll be too powerful for us!" Ozzy grimaced, worry in his voice, brushing off some dirt off of his legs from his trip to the floor. "Unless we work together, of course!"

"Huh, as in, battle?" He knew he would need to fight at some point, but it still felt like a big thing to suddenly do.

"Of course! You may be weak to Ivysaur, but you know some physical attacks like tackle and tail whip! I can distract it and let you get up close and personal!" Ewan's eyes widened at this. He would have to get close to that thing!

**Saaaaauuuuur!**

**"Gah!"**

Ewan felt himself dart to the left, narrowly avoiding a vine that had extended to whip the two of them. He saw Ozzy jump backwards, also firing seeds from his mouth in an attempt to slow the Ivysaur down. The Mudkip felt himself duck down into a sort of battle stance, although it was more instinct that was guiding him this time. He watched as his target began to sway slightly from the constant seed attacks, it's bright pink bulb looking like a nice spot to attack.

He felt his hind legs spring up, and he quickly launched himself into the air towards the Ivysaur, who didn't see it coming. The Mudkip slammed right into the left side of the Ivysaur's bulb, knocking it towards the ground. He quickly jumped up in a flip, ready slam his fin into the face of the grass type, when he felt a vine whip wrap around his back left leg. "Oh f-"

He got slammed into the ground hard, crying out in pain, the breath leaving his lungs instantly. The vine whip reared up, about to send him for one more joy ride, but Ozzy quickly slashed his paw towards the vine, snapping it into two. Ewan felt the grip on his leg relinquish, and with some heavy breathing, he stood up. That attack had hit him hard, and he guessed it must have had something to do with it being a grass type move.

"Ewan, are you okay?" Ozzy called out fearfully, the Mudkip nodding back shakily, a small grin appearing on his face.

"Y'know, this is actually pretty fun," He wheezed, glaring at the Ivysaur, who stood there, waiting for someone to make a move. "I think battling is something I can get used to."

Ozzy smiled at that, quickly turning to face the Ivysaur. "That's great because if we want to defeat this guy, we'll both need to give it everything we've got!"

Ewan quickly got back into his "battle stance", ready to pounce again. Ozzy stood there, paws outstretched, both Pokemon high on the adrenaline of the battle, grins plastered on both of their faces.

**"Let's do this!"**


	7. Saving Marie

**Chapter 7 - Saving Marie!**

* * *

**Pecha Forest S2**

The three Pokémon all stood motionless within the forest clearing, the ancient floor pillar standing tall, a stark contrast to the natural scenery around them. The duo of Ewan and Ozzy were breathing heavily, both in battle stances, both watching the Ivysaur in front of them, who seemed to be getting ready for another attack. The Mudkip was crouched, ready to pounce forwards, tail fin raised for defence, while the Treecko had his paws clenched together, ready to use them at a moment's notice.

"Ewan, you ready for this?" Ozzy asked, not taking his eyes off off the opponent ahead of them.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ewan replied, a small grin etched across his face.

Despite having only been in less than a handful of battles, there was something about the fighting that seemed to excite the Mudkip. Maybe this was what people called " _the thrill of the fight_ ". Or he was just being a bit overly dramatic? Either way, he was ready to fight, and he could feel the desire to win coursing through him.

**_"Move!"_ **

Ewan saw the razor leaf coming this time, ducking down to avoid a sharpened leaf that had been aimed at his head fin. His eyes widened at just how quick he had dodged the attack. He hadn't shown that speed before now, so how come he could dodge the attack so well all of a sudden? But it was not time for him to be questioning his luck, not while they were still trapped in a fight for their lives.

He quickly rolled to the left, feeling a vine scrape across his right side, but it was unable to grab a hold of his legs this time.

He saw Ozzy leap up at the Ivysaur from behind, firing more seeds from his mouth, and the Treecko, with surprising precision, flipped forwards to slam his tail directly into the Ivysaur's face with a sickening thud.

But the bulb Pokémon had a trick up its sleeve, because as Ozzy landed on the ground after the attack, the Ivysaur quickly recovered, leaping from behind the Treecko, landing right on top of Ozzy, who cried out in surprise.

Ewan charged forwards, propelling himself towards the grass type, ready to tackle it of off Ozzy. He slammed into the side of the Ivysaur, who grunted in surprise, turning its attention to the Mudkip who was quickly recovering from the attack, giving Ozzy a moment to breathe and pick himself up.

Ewan's eyes widened as he met the eyes of the Ivysaur, who glared straight at him with those red pupils. The water type felt himself freeze for a moment, locked in place by the glare in those eyes. Something about them seemed to be awfully intimidating, and he couldn't help but stumble backwards in panic, his breathing speeding up, a cold sweat already forming on his forehead.

"Ewan! Don't look into its eyes! It's trying to intimidate you!" His friend called out, but it was far too late for that, Ozzy's warning reaching deaf ears.

He had been gazing for far too long in the eyes of the Ivysaur, and he knew what that meant when the Ivysaur - now back on its feet - charged forwards towards the Mudkip with a clear intention.

_'Gah,_ _I can't move, I can't even look away! I have to do something, I've just got to th-'_

The Ivysaur collided with Ewan, slamming its head straight into his stomach. Ewan felt himself sailing through the air, his back slamming into the rough brown tree trunks by the wall of the room.

"Ahhh!  _Ahhh!_ "

The pain shot through his back, the Mudkip thrashing about where he had landed, pain burning across his entire body. It seemed to engulf him for a moment - although just for a few seconds - before the dungeon's healing began to kick in slowly.

The pain began to numb itself, but he was still in pretty bad shape. His back was bruised, it had to have been from that attack, and he could feel small droplets of blood dripping to the floor where the worst of the scratching had taken place from the tree bark.

**"GAH!"**

The sound of a certain Treecko hitting the ground quickly brought Ewan back into reality, and he glanced up to see what had happened. The Ivysaur had once again pinned Ozzy down, only this time, it's vines were raised, ready to attack Ozzy. The Treecko was breathing heavily, unable to summon any more seeds. He was out of energy!

"Ozzy!  _Hold on!_ " Ewan cried out, pulling himself up from the floor into a standing position.

_'Ozzy needs my help,'_ Ewan thought to himself. _'B-but... I can't do anything except distract that Ivysaur. It would whip me away before I could get anywhere near close enough to deal a lasting hit. But I have to try! I can't let that overgrown plant win this fight! Not if that means he's going to keep hurting Ozzy!'_

" _Chaaaarge!"_ He flung himself forwards into a sprint towards the Ivysaur, hoping he could reach it before it was too late to help his friend.

The Ivysaur turned its head menacingly, noticing the Mudkip charging towards it, and with a growl of frustration, it reared up and launched a flurry of leaves towards its opponent.

The leaves all sliced through the air, the large flurry slamming straight into Ewan, who couldn't find the strength to dodge, the Mudkip finding himself flung backwards into the ground once more. He closed his eyes, wincing in pain as the stinging wounds began to grow a lot more numerous.

_"Ugh... It hurts!"_ Ozzy screamed, and Ewan could only imagine what was happening since he could barely move. But he couldn't give up, damnit. Ozzy needed him!

**"Hey! Get away from those two!"**

Suddenly, the entire clearing was suddenly filled with smoke, the entire area vanishing underneath a dark haze that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The sound of something powerful making contact with a Pokemon and a feral cry was enough to tell him that the Ivysaur had been attacked. But by who?

As the smoke began to dissipate, as quickly as it had arrived, Ewan found himself being lifted up off of the ground by a strong grip and dragged towards the middle of the clearing. For a moment, there was just silence as he was pulled, but as he finally managed to move his head a bit, he got a decent look at what had happened.

The Ivysaur was lying on the edge of the clearing, completely singed on one side, vines hanging limply off of the shrubbery that it had gotten tangled with. It was unmoving and unconscious, although from what the Mudkip could see, the burns would take some serious time to heal.

"I never thought I'd see you two out here," A voice chuckled, a frighteningly familiar voice.

_'Wait a minute,'_ Ewan thought. ' _That voice... It couldn't be?'_

"Hey Ewan, you okay? You got pretty banged up by that Ivysaur." He felt himself spin around once he was released from the grip of his saviour, coming face to face with a rather familiar bandana wearing Charmander, who was looking at him with relieved eyes.

"Charlie? W-what are you doing here?" Ewan choked out, trying to stand up on his own, only to feel his front left leg give way slightly.

"What do you think? We're here to rescue that Vivillon," The Charmander grinned, producing a large blue berry from a bag he had around his shoulder. "Eat this, it's an oran berry, it'll help heal your wounds."

Nodding slowly, Ewan took the berry from Charlie. He examined it for a few moments in his paws. It seemed a little  _squishy_ , was a very bright blue, and it smelled like fresh fruit. That was something he was craving, and it only took him a few seconds to chomp down on the berry with reckless abandon.

It was only after he'd finished gulping down the last of the berry that he realized just how hungry he was. Not only that, but neither himself nor Ozzy had actually eaten anything the day before. The excitement must have caused him to forget such things, and that made the berry even sweeter to him.

Not to mention his wounds were starting to heal at a much more rapid pace, ever since he'd eaten the oran berry. It was as if the berry was made for healing, and after thinking about it, he didn't doubt that the blue berries were healing items. Why he and Ozzy hadn't brought some along, he didn't know, but he was grateful for the help.

"You're both lucky Charlie and I came along," Another familiar voice said, huffing. "Or you both could easily have been knocked out. You're clearly not at a high enough level to tackle an Ivysaur."

Ewan turned to the source of the voice to see Ozzy on the floor, also munching on an oran berry, with a rather familiar Riolu standing above him. Aura was rolling her eyes at the Treecko, who weakly smiled, flashing a grin to Ewan.

"It wasn't our fault that the Ivysaur was right by the pillar to the next sector," Ewan grumbled. He took a few steps forwards, still rather perturbed by his wound on his foot. " _Urk..._ "

"What's wrong with you?" Aura asked, raising her brow, as if ready to complain at a moment's notice. "You seem a little under the weather there."

"It's his leg," Ozzy pointed out, scrambling up from the regenerative powers of a simple berry. Quickly making his way to the water type, he bent down and grimaced at the scratch. "For some reason, it won't heal, odd."

"We can cover it or something for now," Charlie suggested, going to look for some bandages in the bag he was holding, which Ewan assumed was their team bag.

Ozzy was already one step ahead though, withdrawing the blue scarf that had fallen off of the Mudkip's neck earlier that day. "Ewan, I'm thinking that the scarf might be our best bandage. We already know that when you wear it, you get a boost in power, maybe it'll help with your healing too?"

Ewan nodded slowly, the logic checking out, and within a few moments, Ozzy and Ewan were back in business - albeit with a scarf now wrapped around Ewan's front left leg - now ready to continue their venture in the Pecha Forest. Well, if it wasn't for Aura.

"Alright, what are you both doing out here?" Aura asked, though her question read more like a demand, if anything.

"Looking for a Vivillon called Marie," Ozzy replied.

"Funny, we're also looking for a Vivillon called Marie," Charlie mused, the faintest smile on his face.

Aura, however, didn't find the situation amusing, "Are you trying to steal our Client?" She accused, which Ewan was having none of.

"Hey, we were asked by the Vivillon's friend to rescue her after nobody from your Guild replied to her request!" Ewan countered, glaring at Aura, who turned away with a huff.

"Wait, didn't she know that we were going to do the job?" Charlie asked in confusion.

"Nope, she thought the guild didn't receive her request, as Ewan said," Ozzy pointed out, and at this, Aura whirled around, visibly surprised.

"So you are telling me that you met the Vivillon that sent the request, but she had no idea we were already going to rescue Vivillon?" Aura asked, her voice low as she seemed to be thinking.

Ozzy nodded slowly. "Yeah, we then came to the dungeon as soon as we could, since we had to help the Vivillon out, plus it'd be a great experience for me and Ewan as a team."

Aura was clutching her hands in fists, and Charlie was looking a little worried. Ewan looked at the Charmander with a confused gaze, but Charlie merely mouthed back, " _She's not mad at you."_ Ewan turned his attention back to the stressed out Riolu, who looked ready to smash everything around her at the slightest of chances.

As Ewan got a closer look at her, he could see that her fur was a mess from where she had been clutching it in frustration, and from the way her muscles seemed tense, it seemed to suggest that she was really tired. Apparently, one night off of the night shift wasn't doing her as much good as it could have been. "That damn Turtwig! When I get my hands on him," She growled, slamming her fist into the ground, causing the rocks to fracture and crack.

"Aura, it was just a mistake. I'm sure Twiggy didn't mean to forget to inform the client," Charlie hurriedly replied, placing a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. He let his tail flare up slightly, letting his heat calm down the angered Riolu, and sure enough, she sighed and looked up at the three Pokémon around her.

"I know, I know... We're learning, I get that," She huffed. "But I do wish the other recruits would be a bit more professional, it makes us look bad." She mumbled, tensing when she felt Charlie place an arm around her shoulder. "C-Charlie?"

"Just calm down a bit Aura. We all make mistakes, and sure Twiggy will probably never hear the end of this from the Guildmaster, but we need to keep a cool head if we're to be an Arcean-ranked Destiny Team. And we have to learn to work with everyone, so let's try and be a bit more lenient, alright?" Aura looked to the ground, ears drooping slightly as Charlie finished his little monologue.

"I know... Let's just find this Vivilon and get out of here," She murmured, turning to face Ewan and Ozzy, who were silently watching. "You two are free to tag along, you already had a head start on us and we can't just leave you here."

They both nodded, Ozzy seemingly grateful for the extra companionship, though Ewan was a bit more bothered by the pair, noticing Charlie peering at them both curiously. Ewan caught his gaze, noticing how the Charmander looked away suddenly to turn back to Aura. ' _Hmm... That guy is up to something, and I'm not sure I want to know about it.'_  Ewan turned to Ozzy, who was back to his normal cheerful self.

"Come on then you two. Do you really want to get left behind when that Ivysaur wakes up?" Aura called, motioning for the two to hurry up.

They both nodded, quickly scrambling over to the pillar. Ewan breathed a sigh of relief as the trees began to close in around them, and the Ivysaur vanished into the shrubbery. At least they'd have a better chance of finding the Vivillon as a group.

* * *

**Pecha Forest S3**

The moment the pillar lowered into the ground, the scenery seemed to morph and change once more. The leaves began to pale, turning a dark shade of purple, some even blackened, yet still able to sway in the wind despite their ruined appearance. The bark on the trees began to slowly decompose, turning a dark chalky grey while rotting wood began to soak into the ground, like water to a sponge. The earth began to strengthen itself and as Ewan's eyes gazed upon the ground, he noticed various sharp stones pointing upwards off of the floor.

The last part of the area to change was the sky. Once tinted magenta, the sky began to darken leaving the four Pokémon in a much darker forest than before. Charlie's tail was one of the few sources of light, as well as a few of the luminescent plants that Ozzy had seen on the first floor. While the area seemed dark, there was still some light shining through, only it seemed more like moonlight than sunlight.

Far off in the distance, the sounds of insects rustling could be heard, the noises echoing throughout the forest. Ewan even thought he heard a roar coming from deep within the labyrinth of the dungeon, but it was far away, and thus much tougher to make out exactly what it was. The Mudkip merely looked towards the rest of the group, wondering how they were doing.

Ozzy was looking around in wonder, his eyes glinting as he looked towards the lit up plant life that surrounded them. Charlie was a little pre-occupied, now holding his tail in his right hand. He was waving it around like a torch, providing some much-needed heat. Aura was probably the most confident, strolling onwards like there was no problem. He hated to admit it, but the darkness was rather unnerving to the Mudkip, and he felt his breathing quicken slightly.

They all walked forwards in single file, Ewan at the back, followed by Ozzy, then Aura, with Charlie at the front since he had the flaming tail. The Charmander led them across turns to the left, then to the right, passing by a variety of wild plants as they went. Ewan noticed the plant with the blood red petals and the blue stem once more, only it seemed to wilt as the light from Charlie's tail crossed its path.

For the moment, his instincts were going haywire. He was trying to listen out for any Pokémon who wanted to ambush them, but every  _snap_  made him jump, and any noises that were not of their own doing seemed to cause him some inner trouble. It didn't help that nobody was speaking at all. Everyone was so focussed on the mission, that it was almost a death sentence to break the silence.

"Ozzy?" Ewan whispered, just loud enough for the Treecko to hear, but not anybody else.

He noticed the Treecko slow slightly in pace, moving to the left until he was walking next to Ewan, before turning. "Yeah, something wrong?"

Was there anything wrong though? Did he just want someone to talk to? He didn't want to say that he was scared, that would just give Aura another excuse to make fun of them both. "Uh... I've been thinking about what to say to Steel," Ewan muttered, not knowing where he was going with this talk.

"Oh, really? What are you planning on saying to him?" The Treecko asked, brows raised.

"I was thinking of telling him how I felt while... Um... Exploring this dungeon today! Yeah, that's it. Exploring..."

"Riiiiight, well, just keep it up. I'm sure you'll get the right answer eventually," Ozzy sighed, quickening his pace, to Ewan's confusion.

"Hey, wait! What do you mean, I'll get the right answer eventually?" The Mudkip hissed, quickening his pace to keep up with his friend.

Ozzy thought for a second before saying, "I just mean that maybe you'll figure out the true reason Destiny Teams help others. I mean, it's just a natural answer when it comes to Pokémon."

"Don't forget, I'm a human, remember," Ewan pointed out, rolling his eyes. "I wouldn't know about your world's culture."

Ozzy sighed once more, coming to a quick stop to look at Ewan. "Look, Ewan... I know you have amnesia, but come on, enough with the human story. It was fine yesterday when it wasn't getting in the way of the mission, but now really isn't the time."

Ewan was about to retort with a rather angry comment, believing they were past this whole issue with his human story, when they both heard the voice of Charlie call out, "Hey! Get over here you two! We've found something!"

Closing his eyes, Ewan groaned in frustration before moving along the path towards Aura and Charlie. Ozzy was following behind, although now there was an awkward silence between the two and, of course, when they finally caught up to the two Pokémon in the lead, Aura was already on their cases. "Why did you both stop?"

"Private conversation," Ewan spat, grimacing for a moment, not noticing Ozzy look away with a hurt expression.

"Aura, lay off of them right now, can't you see they aren't getting along too well," Charlie whispered, though Ewan heard it just barely, quickly moving on before anybody could comment. "Anyway, look at what I found on the ground."

The Charmander quickly lifted something up that was in his paws, the two Pokémon peering forwards to get a good look at what it was. There, in Charlie's paws, was a leather pouch that had a strap to go around the shoulder. The strap was ripped in two, and Ewan could see some sort of writing on the front of the pouch, in the lining. "What does that say?"

"You can't read footprint runes?" Aura asked, looking at Ewan suspiciously. "I've never known an illiterate Pokémon before."

"I - uh... was never taught," Ewan lied, looking away before she could quiz him any further. "So it says?"

"Marie," Ozzy stated calmly. "Marie's the name of the Vivillon that's gone missing. Do you think this is her bag?"

Aura let out the smallest hints of a smile, something Ewan thought he wouldn't see that day, or ever for that matter, grabbing the bag as she did so. "Of course it is. I don't know of any other Marie in Paradisal Town, and the chances of two different Vivillon's called Marie being trapped in this dungeon are next to none."

"But wait, if that's her bag. What's it doing out here? Surely she'd keep it with her, right?" The Mudkip asked, slowly starting to piece together what had happened. "I mean if we know that this bag is hers and that she wouldn't lose it... Think, that bag looks a little tattered on the sides, and it's covered with dust, meaning it's been there for a little while. And don't forget the broken strap. Now, I don't know about you, but straps don't just break by themselves."

"But why would Marie break her own bag strap?" Charlie asked, lost in thought.

Ewan just looked at him, brows raised. "Really... You think that she broke her own strap... Isn't it obvious, she was attacked and whatever attacked her broke the strap!"

"She was attacked! But that means she could be around here somewhere!" Ozzy exclaimed, all four of them letting their eyes gaze onto the path ahead.

"We need to find her fast then! Before she gets hurt!" Charlie replied, raising his tail as a torch once more so that the group could continue. "We don't have much time! Let's go!"

"Right," The other three replied.

The four of them continued their pace across the corridors of the dungeon, being careful not to lose anybody in the dim light of the halls. It seemed that with every turn, the trees began to close in on them, making the path tougher to walk. However, the path seemed to only go in one straight direction, so it had to lead to something substantial.

That feeling of being watched was quickly creeping back into Ewan's mind as he gazed upon the much darker spots between and beneath the trees. His eyes were darting back and forth, hoping that any wild Pokémon would leave them alone, or suffer the consequences. He could see Ozzy glancing around at random intervals as well, and it quickly became apparent that the Treecko was also feeling a little bit nervous as well.

"Charlie, something feels wrong here," Aura whispered quietly as if the dungeon would attack if she was any louder.

"I know. It's like... I don't know... It just feels bad," The Charmander replied, a chill running down his spine as he continued trudging forwards. "Once we find the Vivillon, we need to get out of here as soon as possible."

Ewan watched the two with great confusion. In his opinion, all of the mystery dungeons were unnerving, even if he had only been in two of them. The whole concept of a maze that changes every time you enter was rather unnatural, and it goes against any natural law. But could there be something more to this dungeon specifically?

_'Vivilon did say that this was a new dungeon,'_ Ewan thought. ' _Maybe it's still trying to adapt to its surroundings and that's why it became so much darker when we entered sector three... Then again, maybe mystery dungeons are meant to get worse the further you go. I wish I knew, I've got so much to learn about this world... So much to learn about myself... Why do I want to be on a Destiny Team, for example?'_ He felt his fin seem to lower for a moment as he pondered the question. ' _I mean, I've got personal problems, but what do I gain from a Destiny Team? What makes it so fulfilling to devote time to?'_

"There's a room up ahead," Charlie called out, breaking Ewan out of his stupor. "Aura, can you see anything in there?"

The Riolu walked over to Charlie at a fast pace, eyes darting across the dark expanse that was beginning to open up. From what Ewan could see, there were leaves falling from the trees, there was a bit more light in the area due to the larger canopy, but it was still too dark to make out any Pokémon.

"Hmm... I can hear something moving in the corner of the room, to our right. Sounds like a sleeping Pokémon. There's something else though... I think... I think it's running water." Aura pointed to the left, and sure enough, the sound of rushing water could be heard.

"Alright, since I've got the light and there are no luminescent plants here, I'll go check on the sleeping Pokémon with Ozzy. Aura, Ewan, go check on the water, please," Charlie ordered, taking some steps into the room.

Ewan, moving over to the female fighting type, began to listen for the sounds of running water. Hopefully, it was just water they'd find and nothing worse. He saw Aura walking slightly ahead of him, and turning around he could see Charlie and Ozzy in the distance, heading to the corner of the room. They were too far away for Ewan to make anything out in the murky green and grey of the area, but there was definitely something down there.

"So, Ewan, what are you doing here?" Aura suddenly asked as they were walking, much to Ewan's surprise.

The Mudkip turned to face her, slightly confused by the question. "Looking for Marie, same as yo-"

"No, why are you here, in a more general sense? You don't seem like the type who would run into a dungeon for fun," The Riolu interrupted.

Ewan sighed for a moment, noticing that he had set foot in the water they had been tasked to find. All that was there was a small stream of clear water which flowed from one end of the room to the other. "I don't know... Honestly, I've not been voicing my opinion much..."

"I'll say. That Treecko's been putting words into your mouth every time I meet you."

The Mudkip winced. While it was true, it still hurt to admit that. "I have my reasons..." ' _I just wish I could remember what I was like. It might help in the long run if I had my old personality!'_

"So you're suffering from amnesia then," Aura silently stated, Ewan's blood running cold.

He turned to face her, eyes widened in shock. "W-what? How could y-"

"You really can't remember anything, can you? It's basic knowledge that Psychic-types, as well as the Lucario evolution line, can mindread. I can read the thoughts of Pokémon through my ability to channel aura," She explained, staring into his eyes.

For a moment, he felt vulnerable, like something sacred had just been intruded upon. She saw his expression, and quickly changed her tone.

"Don't worry, I can only read minds if they're really weak at the time. You've basically started from scratch due to your amnesia, right, so your defences are pretty low," She pointed out, giving Ewan an attempt at an understanding smile. "Perhaps I understand you better now. Amnesia would explain why you're so slow, and based on what Charlie told me about you, you've known that Treecko for a day, right? That's a pretty short time to want to form a team with someone."

"He saved my life, and he's the only person who I can really trust at the moment," Ewan stated. "Not that I don't trust you and Charlie in your own way, but it's different with Ozzy and I."

"Even if you're not getting along right now?" She asked curiously. "I could tell from your body language, as could Charlie."

"Great, I'm like an open book," Ewan groaned, turning away from the stream they were surveying. "But to answer your original question about why I'm here, I just want to find something fulfilling. Something that makes me happy in life... It's selfish, I know, but I came here hoping I would get some sort of guidance. The most I got was that I enjoyed battling a good bit."

"Well, that's something!" Aura stated. "You battle and grow stronger in a Destiny Team, more than any other job. But, you need something more. You need heart."

"Heart?"

"Yeah, you need to really enjoy helping people. My favourite part about Destiny Teams is when you help someone, and they thank you. That's the best feeling you can have, knowing you helped someone..." Aura smiled for a moment while talking, and Ewan could only smile as well, as the two made their way back towards Charlie and Ozzy. "I bet that once you feel it, you'll have a change of heart. Just wait and see, Ewan."

"I never thought you were the type to give advice Aura."

"And what type am I then?" She asked, rounding on him with a deadly stare, though luckily Charlie's voice cut through the room before they could continue.

"Guys! We've found her!" The voice of Charlie called, and within seconds, Ewan had abandoned their conversation so that he could get to the other two, avoiding Aura's wrath just barely, who were standing over a Vivillon that was eating an oran berry.

"Are you Marie?" Aura asked kindly, crouching down to the Vivillon's level when she got there. The butterfly-like Pokémon looked up, nodding. "We're here to rescue you."

"Will you help me get back to my friend?" Marie asked, her eyes glinting with hope.

"Yeah, we can actually leave right now. You see, with this-" Charlie quickly pulled out, what looked like an iron block, shaped in a diamond. It had a large green gem in the middle, and it seemed to glow in the darkness. "Destiny Badge! It'll teleport anybody we ask for out of the dungeon, which goes for all of us."

"That's so cool," Marie replied. "I hope I can get home soon. I need to get these pecha berries to Tiffany."

Aura laughed, pulling the Vivillon up. "Alright, I need everyone to hold hands. We need to all be physically connected so nobody gets left behind!"

Aura quickly grasped the Vivillon's wing, along with Charlie's paw. Charlie went to grab Ozzy's paw, the Treecko holding it out gladly. Ewan felt the Vivillon wrap it's other wing around him, and he looked over to Ozzy, noticing he hadn't grabbed the Treecko's paw. He lifted his front right leg slightly, which Ozzy grabbed, pulling Ewan up into a standing position, which made him jump slightly.

"Woah, I'm not the best on two legs, you know," He exclaimed, grasping Ozzy's paw tightly. As he grasped it, he felt a sudden jolt in his paw, which almost made him let go. It wasn't from the badge, that much he knew instantly, but what that jolt was, he didn't know.

"Alright, off we go," Charlie grinned. "Destiny Badge, escape the dungeon."

Charlie then chucked the badge into the air, letting it hover in the centre of their circle. The light it was emitting began to glow brighter, and Ewan found his eyes hurting slightly from the rays it produced. He felt Ozzy and Marie tense up, closing his own eyes as the light covered his body. And then, the light began to dim down. He was rather surprised when he opened his eyes.

* * *

**Paradisal Fields**

The bright green countryside of the Paradisal Fields greeted the Mudkip as his eyes opened up. Warm sunlight drifted down, only a few solitary apple trees standing in the fields. Looking around, the Pecha Forest seemed to be hidden by a hill, and he knew he wouldn't be heading there again any time soon.

"That was so cool," Marie gasped. "We were in the dungeon, and now we're not!"

"That's the power of a Destiny Team," Aura exclaimed, motioning towards the group to follow her. "Now let's get you back to your friend!"

When the group arrived at the wooden hut belonging to the Vivillon Ewan and Ozzy had talked to that morning, the Vivillon was sitting outside, looking up at the evening clouds.

"TIFFANY!" Marie squealed, fluttering away from the group towards her friend.

The Vivillon's head snapped down to the ground, noticing the other Vivillon, eyes widening with happiness. "M-Marie! Is it really you?"

The two Vivillon fluttered next to each other, hugging each other with their wings by wrapping them around the other's back. Marie was crying, while Tiffany was smiling. "Thank you so much for getting Marie back safe! I can't believe you did it!" She smiled, praising the four. "As thanks, I want each of you to have some poké for your troubles. Here, a nice 1,000 for each of you!"

At this announcement, Ozzy's jaw dropped, although Ewan wasn't paying attention. He was focused on how happy Marie was, and how it was making him feel. He felt a little warm and fuzzy inside... He felt proud. Maybe this was what Aura was talking about. He could get used to this feeling, the feeling of accomplishment and happiness at a mission well done. Thinking back to that morning, his attempt to dismiss Tiffany's request, it was rude of him. Maybe that was why Ozzy had been so upset with him?

"I can't take this much," Ozzy choked out, looking at the money with disbelief. "I'd feel bad!"

"And I'd feel bad if you didn't take it! Please, we don't need the money anyway, we have more than enough to keep ourselves out of trouble," Tiffany replied with a smile. "Thanks again, hopefully, you and your Mudkip friend will become a great Destiny Team soon!"

And with that, Marie and Tiffany fluttered off into the house, leaving the four Pokémon outside. Aura and Charlie were splitting their money up into two piles, while Ewan had given his to Ozzy for safe keeping.

"Are you sure it's been split forty - sixty!" Aura groaned, looking at Charlie nervously. "We don't want a repeat of last time."

"It's fine Aura! You've got 800 for us, and Steel's gonna get the 1,200. It's all good," Charlie replied with a rather forced grin.

"You mean you guys have to pay Steel sixty per cent of your reward?" Ozzy asked surprised. "That's a lot of money taken from you guys..."

"Hey, we get to keep items. Plus, we've got a decent amount of money already," Aura stated. "Now Charlie, we've got to head back to the guild. It's almost sunset!"

"SUNSET!" Ozzy cried out. "How is it sunset! We went into that dungeon in the morning?!"

Charlie merely rolled his eyes, looking at Ozzy with a smirk. "Don't tell me you forgot that dungeons have a different flow of time to the real world. Ten minutes in a dungeon is about thirty minutes in the real world. It's why we get so hungry easily."

Ozzy facepalmed. "How could I forget... So Ewan, what should we do?"

Ewan really wasn't sure. Was he ready? Did he figure anything out while exploring that dungeon. He could sense there was still some unresolved tension between himself and Ozzy, which they needed to get through. But at the same time, could he afford to wait any longer? Sure, the Guild wasn't going anywhere, but every day wasted was a day where Ozzy wasn't able to live out his dream, and a day away from Ewan finding a purpose.

"I..." He huffed, looking to Ozzy with a nervous, yet determined gaze. "I think we should go see Steel again."


	8. The Bonds of Trust

**Chapter 8 - The Bonds of Trust**

* * *

**Paradisal Countryside**

The sky began to darken as the four Pokémon trekked their way back towards their destination - the Paradisal Guild - where they would part ways to continue their nightly business. Stars started to dot the sky and the moon was beginning to rise in the east, a pale moonlight washing over the landscape, covering everything is a luminescent white shimmer. With the rise of the moon came the calm and peaceful tranquillity of the night.

The resident bug Pokémon were chirping in the long grass of the countryside, while in the distance, the cries of Hoothoot could be heard as they went on their nocturnal hunt. A cool breeze brushed against the skin of the Mudkip at the back of the group, who shivered as the delicate breeze chilled his spine. With every step, the trembling became more apparent, but the Pokémon held it back after regaining his courage. He was walking slowly still, but he did have a lot on his mind, a lot riding on his answer to that one question.

"Hey, Ewan? You okay?" The Mudkip looked towards his closest companion, seeing the Treecko stop to look at him. The tree gecko had a rather worried look in his eyes.

Ewan looked to the floor, taking a moment to clear his head while nodding slowly to his companion. Ozzy turned away, although the Treecko had seemed rather  _hesitant_. He couldn't understand why though.

Ozzy had a place in the Paradisal Guild, regardless of whether Ewan was accepted or not based on his answer, and if Ozzy tried to self-sacrifice his spot for Ewan, that wasn't happening. He may have only known Ozzy for a very short while, but one thing was clear - Ozzy was happy exploring, and to see the Treecko having to head home and give up on his dreams, that wasn't an option. In a way, this felt like an all or nothing situation, and Ewan was buckling under the pressure.

"Hey, you two? You nervous?" The voice of their leading companion, Charlie, asked. The Charmander gave a small reassuring smile to the Mudkip when Ewan nodded once more. He didn't wish to talk to anybody, he would rather just be left to his thoughts.

"How could we not be," Ozzy replied, looking at Ewan in the corner of his eye. "This is the big moment. If Steel says no to Ewan..."

"Then you join the Guild and Ewan goes on his way," Aura deadpanned.

Ozzy shook his head though, "I can't abandon Ewan like that. A Destiny Team helps people, after all."

"Ozzy, you promised last night," Ewan reminded him, the Treecko glancing back at him as his voice died down.

"Or, you could just make sure Steel says yes and you both can train at the guild," Aura suggested, a slight smile on her lips as she said it, glancing back at Ewan.

"Yeah, what happened to all of the bravado you had earlier Ewan when you were all like, 'I think we should go see Steel again'?" The Charmander asked, curiously gazing at the Mudkip.

Ewan blushed slightly, looking away from everyone. "Uh - heat of the moment," He admitted.

"Are you serious?!" Charlie laughed. "You had me fooled!"

Aura gave the Charmander a light nudge to the arm, "Cut that out, Charlie. I think we should let him think for a bit, he seems in his own head at the moment."

Ewan was hardly listening to the group at that point. His mind was solely fixed on what he would say... What could he say? Seeing the two Vivillon reunited brought along a great feeling of satisfaction, but there needed to be something more, he felt. He needed to figure out exactly what his reasons were, and fast. He couldn't let Ozzy down a second time, force the Treecko to walk away from his dream guild again.

_'What am I gonna say... I mean, I've got some ideas, but this whole "Destiny Team Training" thing seems like something I'd need experience for... Would two dungeons worth of experience be enough? I mean, I can hardly handle myself in general in this world, let alone in a dungeon. I've had to rely on Ozzy for almost everything because my mind is just so... so... empty...'_ Ewan grimaced for a moment as the reality of his situation began to set in.

_'I need something... Anything to keep my mind occupied. If I'm stuck in this world, I have to do_ _**something** _ _productive, and I guess dungeon training would help me learn how to battle and defend myself. I don't know how long I'll be here for, so I guess maybe getting what I need to know into my head would be a great idea.'_

His eyes glanced over to his partner once more. Ozzy was currently making small talk with Charlie, and he was rubbing his head with his paw, as if in embarrassment.

_'Can I really trust him? I mean, he's been nice to me, helped me out since I can remember... That's actually really weird to think about. Ozzy's been around for as long as my current memories go back. I've been trusting the Treecko blindly up to this point, I've gotten caught up in his own dreams, and I guess I can't just leave him alone at this point._

_But he doesn't believe my story._

_I can see it in his eyes, whenever I mention the "human" thing, he either dismisses it, or he gives me one of those looks that a parent would give to a silly child, like he did in the dungeon earlier. Why should I trust someone who doesn't even believe me? Why should I help him, when he doesn't even believe my past, my heritage? Ugh... This is too confusing for my head to handle right now.'_

He closed his eyes for a moment, clearing his head of his thoughts, going unnoticed by his group. The silent footsteps of the four seemed to echo in his mind, pounding like the beating of drums.

_'I need to focus. I can't start flipping out now... I need to control myself.'_

"Ewan, are you sure that you're okay?" The Treecko asked, looking at the Mudkip, who had broken into a cold sweat.

"I-I'm fine, Ozzy..." He replied, trying to play it off like before.

"Well, you don't look fine to me. Something's bothering you."

_'Ozzy, just let it go... Stop asking me, please! Why can't he just leave me to my thoughts? Why should he care?'_

"Ewan, please, if you're nervous, we can talk about it some more," The Treecko insisted, getting the attention of the Riolu and the Charmander ahead.

"Ozzy. I said I'm fine. Just drop it, okay," He growled suddenly.

His friend flinched away, affected by the sudden bitterness that had made itself present in his voice, but he was too annoyed to care. He needed silence, peace and quiet... He needed to get everything set up in his mind.

"Ewan... Please. I'm worried about you," Ozzy mumbled quietly, taking a hesitant step towards the Mudkip.

Ewan merely looked at him, expressionless. His face was unreadable, and that meant something was seriously wrong. Had Ozzy pressured his friend so much that he didn't want to be friends anymore? What if he just left him here? What would he do? What would Ewan do?

"Look. I am so sick and tired of you asking if I'm okay, pretending to feel sorry for me! How am I meant to trust you, even after what we've done in the past two days? You are a complete stranger to me, and I've followed you blindly through two dungeons, a town, and now I'm blindly following you to a guild! I don't even know what I want from this guild?!" Ewan turned away in a flurry of anger, taking a few steps back in the way they had come. "You don't even trust me!"

"Of course I trust you, Ewan!" Ozzy shouted back, voice raising. "You know, I don't just go around paying for any Pokémon's hospital bills, I don't just go around the countryside with whoever I meet, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted you as a team partner if I knew I couldn't trust you! So what if you have amnesia, or that your past is hard to believe!? I'm not bothered by that, I'm bothered by what you are now! That's who I'm trusting, and that's who I care about!"

_'Urk... He actually does trust me?'_

"Bu-"

"No buts, Ewan!" Ozzy cried out, taking a few steps towards the Mudkip. "You accused me of pretending to feel sorry for you?! How could you even say that? Why would you even think that? I care about you Ewan, you're like the best friend I never had, and that means I do care about you! I don't want to see you hurting, and I'm sorry if I made you feel that way, but you should have at least talked to me first."

Ewan felt his eyes welling up, and he could feel a few tears dripping down, having escaped from his eyes. "I-I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me... It's just, I get so confused and scared sometimes... I should have talked with you but, well, I'm not the best at doing that." At this point Ewan had turned away from Ozzy, rambling into the sky, voice cracking.

"I've always bottled in my emotions, and I just..." His voice failed him, cracking as he lowered his head to the ground. Of course, he wasn't expecting Ozzy to suddenly wrap his arms around the Mudkip, pulling him close. "O-Ozzy?"

"Two nights in a row, I've consoled you, Ewan," Ozzy stated calmly. "And I'd do it again. You're my friend, whether you like it or not. And I don't abandon my friends. Ewan... You can talk to me. But... if you get like this again, come talk to me, please..."

"Yeah..."

Ozzy frowned for a moment. "I need to make sure you will. You've got to promise me you'll talk to me!"

Ewan nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, I promise... I'm so sorry..."

The stood there quietly, until Ewan whispered, "I still have no idea what to say to Steel."

"I could tell," Ozzy chuckled silently. "But you know what, I think things will work out."

"Hey, are you two done with your little crying session?" Aura's voice rang out from further ahead. "Because I'd like to get back to the Guild before they shut the gates for the night, and if you want to tag along, I suggest you move it!"

"C-Coming!" The duo shouted back at the same time, Ewan brushing away his tears as they quickly bounded up the path after the two Pokemon ahead of them.

* * *

**Paradisal Guild**

The walls of the guild stood like an imposing fortress as the group of four approached. Even in the dim light of the moon, dark shadows were cast upon the ground, warding off those who would dare to attempt to mess with the guild. However, for Ewan and Ozzy, they still had to approach, not only so Ewan could answer a simple question, but so they could hopefully join Charlie and Aura, who had somehow become acquaintances in the field, in training.

Ewan could feel himself tremble at the site of those raised walls. The night before had not been a pleasant experience in his mind, and rejection was, once again, at the forefront of his thoughts. Not only that, but he was stressed out, rather tired and still feeling somewhat emotional over the chat from earlier with Ozzy.

And Ozzy probably wasn't feeling any better.

The Treecko had a guaranteed spot in the guild should he wish it, yet the Treecko gulped as they approached the guild's gates, trying to look tough in an attempt to convince Ewan that this wasn't as bad as they were making it out to be. He wasn't succeeding at that very well.

Finally, the group of four reached the grated gates, though nobody was seemingly on watch duty tonight, though from what Ewan and Ozzy could recall, Charlie was meant to be on watch duty.

Aura was the first to move forwards, clanking her paw against the metal, before calling out, "Whoever's up there, can you let us in?" The clanking reverberated across the countryside, but unlike the night before, whoever was on gate duty was much more alert than Charlie.

"Huh, who's there? Oh-Oh no, is that..."

"Yes, Twiggy, it's me, Aura, and I'd love nothing more than to have a word with you about the ins and outs of  _informing the Client_  later," The Riolu practically barked up at the gatekeeper.

Glancing over the railings, Ewan and Ozzy could see a small Turtwig leaning over the wall, shrinking back slightly when he noticed everybody looking at him. "W-What about those two strangers?"

"They're here to see Steel," Charlie explained, though rather than stay with the group, he went to move to the bench that the night guards normally sat on. "I'm just gonna get my shift started already, can you do the main check-in with Steel, Aura?" The Charmander asked, the Riolu glancing back to nod affirmatively to her friend.

"Once I've reported our successful mission, I'll let him know you both are back," Aura explained.

Aura slipped through the gate as Twiggy pulled it open for her, letting the gate slide back down afterwards, leaving Ewan, Ozzy and Charlie outside, the Charmander watching the pair with his usual attentive gaze. "You both ready for this?" He finally asked, voice quiet, trying to ensure Twiggy didn't hear, no doubt.

Ozzy nodded, glancing to Ewan, whose face seemed to be a mix between ready and utterly terrified. Suffice it to say, the expression did little to calm Ozzy's nerves about the entire experience.

"You both seem to be getting along better, at least," Charlie commended with a shrug, "Though your whole situation is pretty unique if you think about it. I don't think any other Pokemon have been forced to become so close in such a short time, nor did they have the goal of joining a Destiny Team together."

"I guess..." Ozzy replied.

Ewan had already tuned out of the conversation though, as Ozzy and Charlie chatted nonchalantly, giving himself a few more moments of peace before the storm arrived. It was all coming down to this, Ewan vs Steel, a question and an answer. His earlier chat and venting session with Ozzy had left him feeling a little more emotional than he'd liked and he couldn't focus his thoughts too well. Any sort of prepared answer would sound disingenuous, so that was out of the question.

Could he wing it? Maybe, if he was lucky.

Though Ewan didn't have much time to ponder this, as an authoritative voice cut through his thoughts.

"You've come back," Steel said, the Bisharp standing behind the portcullis of the gate leading inside, Ewan tensing up as their gazes met, blood running cold, a tension washing across his body as he gulped. "I assume you both still wish to enroll as recruits to become a Destiny Team?"

"Yes," Ozzy replied quickly, but swiftly. "Me and Ew-" Though before Ozzy could get his friend's name out, he found himself pausing, Steel's warning flashing in his mind from the night before.

_'I really have been talking for you, haven't I Ewan...'_

"Actually, I'll leave it at that. Ewan, what about you?"

Surprised to be addressed so suddenly by his friend, Ewan could only pipe with a surprised, "R-Right, I do, I really do want to enroll as a recruit this time."

"Hmm," Steel chuckled, tilting his head back ever so slightly as he looked down on the pair. "Finally, I see you're giving the Mudkip some time to speak,  **Ozzy.** "

Ozzy's eyes widened at that, noticing the use of his name instantly. And Ewan picked up on it too, a clear indicator that Ozzy had passed Steel's test, though both of them hadn't even realized Ozzy was also being tested until that moment, Ozzy's breathing hitching in surprise as he came to that realization.

"However, Mudkip, while your friend has proven himself a worthy recruit who has learned from his mistakes, we still have business to attend to." Folding his arms, Steel's gaze was solely on Ewan, before he stated, "Why do you wish to join this guild and become a Destiny Team?"

_'What should I say? Think, what have I learned over the past twenty-four hours. Uh, I liked helping Tiffany and Marie, I enjoyed battling more than I thought I would, I learned about dungeons, money, items, I learned to trust those I work with, but none of this is a reason. Does all of that mean I really want to join a team?'_

"I-I guess I should be honest with you, Steel," Ewan stated nervously, finally deciding on a course of action. Honesty. "I really want to give you an answer that just oozes heart and soul and feeling, but I... I can't do that."

"Then I assume we are done here, unless you have something more to add," Steel replied, almost daring Ewan to continue.

"You're right, I do have something to add," Ewan admitted. "While I can't fill my answer with soul, I can be honest with you, at the very least. I-I... I didn't mention this yesterday but I actually have amnesia. You can ask Aura if you want proof, she noticed earlier in the dungeon. When Ozzy found me, that was when my memories started and I don't know how long it'll be before those memories come back, if ever. So until then, I don't have any experience or life choices to draw from, when answering your question, aside from the last forty-eight hours."

"Let me ask you this then, Mudkip," Steel cut in. "While this answer changes the situation, could you also see why I feel you could be using your circumstances as an excuse?"

"No, it's not an excuse," Ewan bit back, finally starting to gain some clarity over the situation. That previous answer had been as much for him as it had been for Steel, after all. "I don't actually care about my amnesia. I've had a few days to come to terms with the fact that I have missing memories and that's fine, I'm okay with how I am now. But I have to start somewhere when it comes to getting experience with this world, and if I can't experience something, how can I know if I want it?"

Stepping towards the gate, he continued, "I don't have an answer for you because I need to see what it's like, to feel what it's like, being on a Destiny Team, before I can decide whether it's something I want, or need, to pursue further. And your training is the perfect test."

For a moment, Steel was silent, though Ewan could see Charlie and Ozzy watching from the sides, the former looking impressed, the latter surprised. "So," Steel finally said. "You're saying you want to join a team so that you can figure out if it's for you or not? You want to find your answer through working and training as a recruit, with the goal of becoming a Destiny Team with your partner? Am I correct?"

"Yes," Ewan replied confidently. "That's it."

And then once again there was silence, Ewan standing there next to his friend, watching the Guildmaster as he seemed to be thinking things over. All the tension suddenly rushed back as Ewan realized this was it, this was his chance and if this answer, or lack thereof, didn't satisfy Steel, that would be it.

_'Please, let this be right...'_

That's when a low chuckle began to sound out, Steel unfolding his arms with a look of mirth in his eyes. "Well, colour me surprised. I question every Pokemon who wishes to join this guild, and I always ask the same question. And I haven't heard your kind of answer in such a very long time. I find that new recruits will often try to make up sob stories or put too many feelings and emotions into their cases. But a straightforward,  _I'm not sure but I want to try anyway._  Well... You have my respect,  **Ewan.** "

His eyes widened, realizing the weight of Steel's words. Spinning to Ozzy in genuine surprise, the pair met each other's looks with mirrored expressions of shock.

"Does that mean they passed?" Charlie asked from his seat, everyone turning to him.

"Indeed," Steel replied. "You two will make fine recruits, I could sense the potential inside you both from the moment I saw you last night."

"S-Seriously?" Ozzy stammered, eyes shining with excitement and happiness. "You mean it?"

"I don't lie," Steel shrugged, glancing up to the gate controls, where everyone had forgotten that Twiggy had been watching everything as well. "Open the gate, we must show our new recruits inside."

"I can't believe that actually worked," Ewan whispered to Ozzy as they waited for the gate to open. "I was just being honest, I thought for sure he'd still want an answer out of me."

"But couldn't you see, Ewan. That was your answer," Ozzy whispered back. "He asked a question, you answered. The answer's substance didn't matter, I think he was testing you on your determination."

_'My determination...'_ Ewan couldn't help but agree.

The loud clanking of the portcullis rising up brought them both back to reality, Steel standing on the other side of the archway, gesturing for them to come in.

Ozzy almost leapt across the threshold, clear excitement bubbling in his steps as they waved goodnight to Charlie, who had to stay outside for his night shift, while Ewan tentatively stepped under the gate, still surprised that this was happening, that they'd made it in.

"Now, you've seen the courtyard before. Tomorrow, I will give you a full tour of the Guild and it's facilities - Though for now, I will lead you to your quarters."

The Bisharp led them towards the entrance of the main guild, underneath the apple trees that hung above the doorway. The fact that the guild was carved into a mountain was still so amazing to think about, to Ewan. The time it must have taken to create this place, he didn't envy the architect.

They passed into the mountain, the night sky vanishing as they went indoors, replaced by a stone ceiling and lit braziers across the walls, which led them down a hallway into the Guild.

"Those fires are burning brightly," Ozzy commented.

"Of course they are," The Bisharp replied. "They're enchanted. You won't burn yourself on the torches should you accidentally brush against one, but I'd recommend keeping your paws to yourselves. They're costly."

"R-Right, yeah, I wasn't planning on, y-yeah..." Ozzy stammered, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. He was totally planning on messing with a torch.

"Now, the Guild is split into three floors. Your quarters are on the second floor, which you can reach from this, the Main Hall," Steel explained as they emerged from the hallway they were in, emerging into a brightly lit square room that seemed to rise up into the mountain at a glance. Though unlike the entrance, this room didn't feel like it was made for an under-the-mountain Guild.

On the grounds, vibrant red carpets were draped in a large plus sign on the ground, with each ending of the carpet leading in a different direction. Bookshelves and seating areas lined the corners of the Hall, where some Pokemon could be seen reading from various texts. A Mightyena, a Vulpix, a Blastoise, those were just some of the Pokemon who were in the Hall.

Though before the pair had a chance to really look around, Steel was already ushering them towards the right exit of the Hall, where a large set of stairs leading upwards could be seen. Once at the top of the stairs, they noticed that the second and third floors were all balconies where you could view the Main Hall from, like spectators looking into a stadium.

On the opposite side of the second-floor landing from the stairs, a large hallway of doors jutted down, with Steel stopping right at the entrance. "Your quarters are at the end of the hall, to the right. I'm sure you have no qualms with sharing a room."

"Not at all," Ozzy answered, Ewan also shaking his head.

"Good, then I'll leave you to settle in. You'll be woken up tomorrow in the morning, where I will give you a proper tour of our facilities. For now, get some rest. You both look a complete mess." Without a chance to reply, Steel suddenly leapt from the balcony with a powerful jump, landing on the third floor without much issue, much to their surprise.

"I bet he does that to everyone," Ewan mumbled in surprise.

"No kidding, his power's on a whole other level!" Ozzy exclaimed. "But I guess we should go check out our roo-"

"Look who made it into the Guild then?" A familiar female voice called out, the two Pokemon turning back to the living quarters, where they could see a figure staring at them from the end of the hallway. The familiar Riolu waved them over, an impressed expression gracing her features as they approached. "I see he tried to intimidate you with the old jumping from floor to floor trick."

"Yeah, he uh, well, strong legs," Ewan stuttered, somewhat lost for words.

" _Right_ , I'm just going to assume that Steel gave you this room on the right here," The Riolu guessed, gesturing to the door Steel had mentioned, Ozzy nodding. "Great, we're neighbours then. Charlie and I room just opposite you guys," She explained, pointing back at the door she had come out of. "I'll let you guys get some rest though, if we have time to talk, there's time to be resting or training."

"Thanks, Aura, for your help today," Ozzy chirped, walking past her to look inside their room.

"Yeah, I think you really helped me figure things out," Ewan added with a smile.

Before she could reply though, Ewan and Ozzy had already gone past, entering their room with curious gazes, Aura rolling her eyes and retreating to her room with the faintest smile.


	9. New Recruits

**Chapter 9 – New Recruits**

* * *

**Paradisal Guild**

After a night out under the stars with nothing but a single blanket between them, the chance to sleep under a roof for the night was already a tantalizing prospect for Ewan, who surveyed their guild quarters with immense satisfaction. After parting with Aura, they had entered their room, noticing that the rooms, while narrow, were very long, stretching quite a few paces back, where the pair could see a small window at the other side.

It was the dead of night outside, but a single torch by their door illuminated what could be seen of the room – Two nests were bundled together in the centre of the room which was clearly where they would be sleeping. To their left as they entered sat a small desk with some drawers for any items or papers, which Ozzy would probably be handling given the opposable thumbs he had.

Aside from that, the room was quite empty aside from the window at the far side which had some vines hanging across it on the outside, perhaps to obscure it from an outside view.

"So this is where we'll be staying then," Ozzy announced, unlatching his pouch, dropping it on the desk with a deep sigh of relief. "It's bigger than my room back home for sure."

"Those nests look so inviting," Ewan mumbled, stumbling over to the nests, feeling the day's adrenaline beginning to peter off finally.

"Right, beats sleeping under a tree," Ozzy chirped, bounding over to claim the bed on their left, flopping into it without a second thought. "Ah, that feels nice," He muttered contently.

Ewan followed his lead, flopping into the bed on the right, the soft hay instantly soothing the aches and pains as his body finally allowed itself a chance to rest up after the day's deeds. So much had happened in such short a time, and suddenly he was enrolled in the Paradisal Guild. How crazy was that?

"You rocked Steel's question, by the way," Ozzy said, rolling onto his side to look over at the Mudkip. "I could tell he was super impressed."

"We've known Steel for a grand total of twenty minutes, Ozzy," Ewan replied snarkily, flopping onto his back lazily. "His impressed face looks pretty similar to his angry face and his happy face and his-"

"Alright, alright, I get your point," Ozzy groaned. The Treecko took a deep breath, exhaling loudly before continuing, "Still, we actually made it. I never thought I'd actually get this far."

Ewan couldn't help the quizzical look he sent the Treecko, "You seemed so confident you'd get in, I'm surprised that you were actually that concerned about it." And he meant that. Ozzy's air of bravado was definitely an encouraging factor of his personality that kept Ewan motivated to continue. Of course, he had hidden away some of his feelings. Everyone was a little bit human, or he guessed Pokemon would apply to the phrase, in that respect.

"I meant it," Ozzy said, breaking Ewan out of his small stupor.

"Meant what?" He asked, arching a brow.

"My promise. If you didn't make it in, I wouldn't have accepted the position," Ozzy explained nonchalantly. "We don't have to worry about that now though, thank Arceus."

"I'd have made you stay," Ewan replied bluntly, an unamused look crossing his face. "I wasn't about to let you chuck your dream away for me. At least it didn't come to that."

"Yeah..." Ozzy whispered back.

Silence fell over them the moment that the last word was whispered, the pair both lying on their backs, staring up at the rocky cavernous ceiling of their quarters, just taking in the fact that they were actually there, in the guild, not being sent away.

It probably wouldn't sink in until the morning, Ewan thought to himself.

"I'm going to try and get some sleep," Ozzy announced quietly, flipping back over to face Ewan. "We can't afford to get up late for our first day, after all."

"Pfft," Ewan replied, rolling his eyes. "We practically started today given we helped out with Aura and Charlie."

"True," Ozzy chuckled, looking to his friend with a smile. "But I don't think I'd like to be on Steel's bad side one day into our internship."

"We'll be-" Ewan paused before he could finish his sentence though, feeling a sudden yawn coming along, finding himself with no other option but to just yawn loudly, much to the Treecko's amusement, his friend watching him with tired mirth in his eyes. "-fine," Ewan finally finished, stifling himself before another yawn could come through.

"Good night then, Ewan," Ozzy yawned, flashing him a sleepy smile.

"G'night, Ozzy," The Mudkip replied as the two of them finally settled into comfortable sleeping positions, Ewancurling up around himself, while Ozzy stretched back and slept like he was on a bed, not in a nest.

And so ended Ewan's second day in Pepromena and their first night at the Paradisal Guild.

* * *

**Unknown Location**

_There was only darkness when Ewan opened his eyes, feeling the familiar weightlessness that had accompanied him during the dream he had experienced back in Coral Town. Only this time, there were no lights flashing, nor any colours surrounding him. It was only dark._

_"Hello?" He called out quietly as if speaking too loudly would announce his presence. At least he was sure he was dreaming this time around._

_But why was he dreaming this? Dreams were unpredictable, and most people didn't dream the same thing twice. But here he is, feeling the same vibes from his last dream he had._

_Did this have something to do with his memories?_

_"Hello?" He called out again, this time louder, now daring whatever was causing these dreams to appear._

_Of course, nothing did._

_The darkness was everpresent, like a vast abyss that stretched as far as the eye could see._

_"Why am I here?" He called out, attempting to strike up a conversation, even if there was seemingly no recipient. "Why am I a Pokemon now?"_

_His voice fell on deaf ears, however, much to his annoyance. Last time he was here, he definitely heard a voice, though it was in the light, now that he recalled. Glancing upwards, he couldn't see the light from before, only the darkness. Maybe he needed to find that light again?_

_But before he could ponder further, he felt the familiar feeling of his world falling out from underneath him, feeling himself slip back into the realm of sleep._

_Maybe next time he'd be luckier._

* * *

**Paradisal Guild  
**  
When next Ewan opened his eyes, he found himself strewn across his nest, having clearly shuffled around in the night. Sluggishly, he tried to wipe away any grogginess from his eyes, glancing over to see his green friend still asleep in his nest, a content look on his face. Smiling, Ewan stretched his legs, uncurling from his nest before padding over to the window at the end of their shared room.

Peering through the vines that had grown over the hole, he could see that the sun had yet to fully rise, but that it was just peeking over the northern snowcapped mountains. It had to be around seven in the morning or something along those lines.

Silently stepping back towards the beds, Ewan decided it would be best to wake up his partner so they could prep for the day, seeing as they'd be going over a proper tour of the guild and the earlier the better, no doubt.

Stopping next to Ozzy's bed, Ewan placed a paw on his friend's side before giving him a small shake, gentle enough that it wouldn't seem hostile, but forceful enough that it would get the sleeping Pokemon's attention. "It's morning, we need to get up."

The Treecko's green eyes slowly cracked open, Ozzy giving Ewan a tired drowsy look as he muttered a, "It's morning already?"

"Yup, up you get," Ewan ushered, practically dragging the Treecko out of bed. "First day on the job, can't be late, that's what you told me last night, remember."

At the mere mention of their new status as recruits, Ozzy's eyes suddenly focused, the Treecko wide awake in moments.  _'I guess that's as good of a motivator as any,'_ He thought to himself with a chuckle.

Though a knock at the door was what really started their day, Ewan quickly running to check it out while Ozzy was untangling himself from his nest. "Just a second!" He called out as he reached the door, grabbing the handle, which luckily seemed tailor-made for any kind of Pokemon, before opening the door to reveal a rather exhausted looking Charmander standing outside.

Charlie gave a weak wave, his eyes betraying the sheer tiredness he was feeling. "Hey Ewan," He yawned loudly. "How's your first night?"

"Better than yours, I'm guessing," Ewan joked. "If I knew some water moves, I'd splash you to wake you up."

"Is that Charlie?" Ozzy called from inside the room, Charlie glancing through the door to give the Treecko a weary wave. "Did you come to wake us up?"

The Charmander nodded, fiddling with his bandana that was now proceeding to droop from his forehead after a long night of guard duty. "Steel told me to tell you the washrooms are on the left after you get back to the Main Hall and to clean yourselves up. Said he'd meet you downstairs and to try not to take too long."

"Right, thanks," Ewan nodded, Ozzy approaching from behind.

"You two really need the wash," Charlie mused when he saw Ozzy close-up. "Not to be rude or anything."

Shaking his head with a brief chuckle, Ozzy hushed their Charmander friend's misgivings, muttering an, "It's fine, we know we're a mess."

"Speak for yourself," Ewan retorted, "I think I'm pretty perfect."

"Tell that to the massive patch of dirt on your back and then we'll talk," Ozzy countered.

Their banter continued for a few more retorts, but by that point Charlie had already bowed out, slipping into his room opposite them to, and he quoted, "Pass out for the day."

Once Charlie had left, the pair mutually agreed to head over to the bathing area, Ozzy grabbing his pouch before they trundled down the hallway from their quarters until they reached the balcony overlooking the entrance hall. Surprisingly, it seemed quite busy on the first floor as various different Pokemon were coming and going about their early mornings. "I guess there are Destiny Teams that frequent the guild for jobs," Ozzy murmured as they strode across the landing to where Charlie had said the wash area was.

When the two Pokemon entered the wash area, they weren't sure what to expect, so when they came out onto a small lake under the water, Ewan had to admit he was definitely surprised. The lake wasn't terribly large, spanning the length of around three Snorlax's laying down, though while the lake itself was pretty standard, it was the grating on the far side to their left that drew their attention.

The water seemed to flow through the grate and, as Ewan padded over to where the metallic grate was out of curiosity, he was surprised to hear a roaring sound coming from down the tunnel.

"What is that?" He muttered, Ozzy coming up behind him to listen as well.

"I... I think that's the waterfall outside," Ozzy theorized. "The water had to come from somewhere, after all."

With that mystery out of the way, now came the job of bathing. Ewan imagined, as a Mudkip, bathing wouldn't be too terrible given his species were made for the water, though Ozzy would probably need to take a bit more time cleaning himself off. The water did look nice, so without a second thought, he decided to hop in, splashing bits of water across the dry bank near the entrance.

He was surprised, though, when he felt the temperature of the water. "Woah, this water's hot!"

"S-Seriously?" Ozzy stammered, dipping a foot in, eyes widening as he felt the heat. "How on earth did they pull this off?"

"You can ask Steel after we've sorted ourselves out," Ewan replied, diving under the water to wash off any of the grime on his face.

"This guild really is amazing..." Ozzy said to himself as he quickly unhooked his pouch, placing it on the bank, before also hopping into the lake, allowing himself to relax in the hot waters before proceeding to wash off any dirt and grime.

Ewan poked his head out from under the water, his fin bobbing left and right as he glanced over at his friend, who was currently washing off his tail. "So, what exactly do we have to do anyway to become a full Destiny Team?" Ewan asked curiously.

Glancing back at his friend, Ozzy shrugged, "I'm not sure. I know that we need to complete our training experience here at the Guild, but that's all pretty vague. I'm sure Steel or maybe Charlie will let us know if we ask them."

"I guess I'm just surprised that you don't know," Ewan muttered, brushing some dirt from his paws that refused to budge. "You seemed like you had everything figured out before I came along, I mean."

"Ah, you're giving me too much credit, Ewan," Ozzy grinned, letting go of his, now cleaned, tail. "Sure, I knew I wanted to enrol here, but I found a lot of Destiny Teams were quite secretive about their graduations or their training. Still, this'll be totally worth it! And not just for me, but for you too!"

"I hope so," Ewan replied, finally getting that dirt out of his paws. "So uh, where do we dry off?"

"We could huddle around one of the enchanted flames on the wall, maybe?" Ozzy suggested, already wading back to the bank, Ewan in tow.

The Mudkip couldn't help but want to stay in the water longer, loving the way he seemed to glide through the water and the feeling of the liquid on his scales. It just felt right.  _'This has to be how it must be to be in your perfect habitat.'_ But with a heavy heart, and a silent promise to return to the waters that evening, he pulled himself out onto the bank, Ozzy already by the wall, warming up near the torches.

"Does it work?" He asked, Ozzy giving a nod.

Truth be told, Ewan didn't mind the water on his body. Unlike human skin, his Mudkip body was made for the water, so it was less bothersome, but even so, he imagined Steel would very much be bothered if he started tracking water on the downstairs carpets. Padding over, Ewan let the warmth of the fires wash over him, feeling pretty content as they pair of them stood there, drying off.

"I could get used to this," Ewan stated contently.

"Just don't get too relaxed, Ewan. We've probably got a day of training to go through." With that, Ozzy stepped away from the fire, dry as can be, Ewan hopping after him as Ozzy quickly went to grab their item pouch, before heading back down the hallway to the main guild.

When they re-entered the entrance hall, Ewan glanced over the balcony to see that the guild leader, Steel, was conversing with some Pokemon by the entrance. None of them seemed to really stand out, so he assumed they were either visitors or a rescue team visiting for work.

"Let's go," Ozzy motioned.

The duo quickly made their way down to the first floor, weaving past a rather frazzled looking Vulpix who passed them on the stairs with great haste, before making their way over to Steel, who seemed to be finishing up with the Pokemon he had been talking with. As they approached, he glanced back at them with an impressed look on his face.

"You actually got up?" He stated, surprise tinged in his tone. "I assume Charlie helped in that regard?"

Ewan shook his head, "I was up before Charlie got to our room, though we're grateful he told us about the bathing area."

"Well, now that you're both here, I should show you the main facilities of our Guild, then I'll give you your first official Guild Mission." The Bisharp gestured around him to the hall they were. "This entrance hall is the main hub of the building. Teams can feel free to use the seating areas to plan out or simply loiter around on their days off. While I am a strict teacher, I'm not a dictator."

The Bisharp led them towards the western hall, where many Pokemon were coming and going, some giving Steel curt nods, others looking at the two starter Pokemon with a strange fascination. He led them down the short hall until it opened up into a room filled with chatter, the smell of cooked berries wafting in their direction as they glanced around across a dozen tables, all stacked around like a classic cafeteria.

"This is the mess hall," Steel explained. "Make sure to eat before you leave on an expedition, it's better to venture into a dungeon with a full stomach, so as to avoid the hunger loss that dungeons inflict upon you. Meals are free for recruits, though you only get one portion each. You'll have breakfast soon, but I want to show you a few more places first."

Before the pair even had time to realize, Steel had already moved them away at a blistering pace towards their next location, back towards the entrance hall, then towards the hallway to the north. This hall led down a set of steps into the deepest part of the mountains, though from the sounds coming from that direction, Ozzy was pretty sure they were heading towards a dojo.

Emerging from the tunnel at the bottom of the stairs, they were greeted with a rather large cavern that had been hollowed out of the mountain's depths. Three large rings were set up, each with Pokemon battling inside of them. As they entered, one of the battling Pokemon, a rather large blue turtle with a dark and hardened shell, launched their opponent, a rather surprised Simipour, out of the ring.

"Steel! What brings you down to our grounds?!" The Pokemon heartily called out, trudging over with a surprising amount of friendliness for one with such a gruff voice.

"Just showing our newest recruits around, Titan," Steel announced, gesturing to the Mudkip and Treecko, who were watching the large turtle with curious gazes. "Ozzy, Ewan, this is Titan. He's one of our Battle Instructors. He'll be of great use to you, especially you Ewan, seeing as Aura briefed me last night saying you don't know how to use your water-based attacks yet."

"Seriously?" Titan exclaimed. "A squirt like you should be zippin' around with water everywhere. When I was your age-"

"It's complicated," Ewan interrupted. "I-I'm not much of a fighter. I want to learn though."

"That's all I can ask for!" Titan exclaimed, giving them a sharp grin. "I, Titan the Carracosta, will make a Swampert out of you!"

"I look forward to training with you," Ewan replied back, mustering his own awkward smile, much to Titan's sheer delight.

Ozzy was looking around though, a little confused. "Does Titan train all the recruits?"

Steel glanced over at the Treecko, who was watching a rather intense battle between a Trevenant and a Cloyster with relative interest. "We have instructors come and go on a schedule. You see, to be a licensed instructor, you have to be willing to travel between guilds to teach new recruits the ways of battle. Our grass-based instructor should arrive in a few days. They're finishing up a job at the Guild in Katas."

Ozzy's eyes widened at that. "All the way in Katas?! That's on the other side of the continent AND across the sea though!"

Ewan had absolutely no idea what they were on about, though geography was never his strong suit, he imagined. He'd really need to scour a Peprominian map at some point. And maybe tell whoever named the country about how to make names roll off the tongue. Pepromena was such a mouthful.

"Instructors have their ways, as do most officials," Steel said teasingly. "But I'm afraid I cannot delve deeper into the subject with the pair of you."

"Fine..." Ozzy grumbled.

"Anyway, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, Titan, there is a long day of work ahead of the new recruits and I," Steel stated, glancing at the two starter Pokemon with a gleam in his eyes. "Keep up, the pair of you."

"Ah well, I look forward to training you!" Titan waved as the three Pokemon began the long walk back up the stairs leading to the main portion of the guild, passing by a few Pokemon who had come to train in the gym as they walked, Ozzy gawking at a rather intense looking Rhydon who stomped down the stairs passed them.

When they made it back to the main hall, there were more Pokemon loitering around, some planning out the day's expeditions or pouring over maps and texts. He could see an Alakazam and a Tyranitar trading items in the corner, though nobody seemed to bat an eye as Steel walked among them, as if he wasn't the leader of the guild, but another cog that kept the place functioning. Which, in a way, he was.

"As you two are aware, the second floor is for recruits. The third floor, which I won't be taking you to, has my office, as well as the Guild's library. If you ever need to research anything about Pepromena, that library is the best place to go. We're fully stocked with the latest texts regarding dungeon exploration, second only to the Grand Bibliotech in the capital." Ozzy's eyes were shining with awe at the mere thought of the library, which Ewan found quite surprising. He'd never pegged Ozzy for a reader, despite his ability to explore. "Now, go have some breakfast, then meet me in the courtyard," Steel pointed. "Outside is where you decide your missions for the day."

"Right!" Ozzy stated, practically pulling Ewan along towards the dining hall with the express intent on devouring whatever tasty berries they had in stock, Ewan yelping as he was dragged along in surprise.

All the while as they stumbled off to get some food, Steel couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at their antics. They were definitely a strange pair and he looked forward to seeing what they were capable of in action.

The two new recruits reentered the Mess Hall a few moments later, the smell of cooked berries and food filling Ewan's nostrils with a delightful aroma that had him excited for what was to come. His experiences with this world's food so far were apples and oran berries, so he had to admit he was definitely expecting something a little bit more magical than his previous food endeavours.

Ozzy had already bounded off towards the counter of the room where a rather large Kanghaskan was serving some of the other Pokemon some delightfully juicy looking berries, Ewan running to catch up to his friend. As the Kanghaskan's eyes turned towards them, they lit up excitedly as she called out, "You must be those new kids Steel was talking about!" The motherly nature of her voice was enough for Ewan to already feel like putting all of his trust in this woman, the Kanghaskan giving him the biggest smile she could muster as she grabbed a few trays of food and handed them to Ozzy to carry. "My name is Denise, I'm the resident cook here at the Guild. I hope you enjoy my cooking!"

"I'm sure we will," Ozzy exclaimed, mouth practically watering as he looked over the array of foods she had cooked up for the recruits. "Thank you so much, Denise!"

"Don't mention it," She waved with a smile. "Just be sure to put your finished trays on the end of the counter there," She explained, pointing to where a small stack of finished trays sat. "You'll probably have to help me out one of these days as part of your training, so make sure to pay attention."

Right, that made sense. If guard duty was something the recruits had to do, helping in the Kitchens was probably a good way to teach Pokemon skills beyond dungeon exploring. Ewan couldn't help but think that this Guild really had everything. Housing, training areas, a recreational space, a mess hall, a library, a washroom, he honestly wouldn't be surprised to find out there was an infirmary or something along those lines here as well, though if one existed here, Steel didn't point it out.

"C'mon Ewan, I'm starved," Ozzy announced, after they said their thanks once again to the kindly lunch lady, leading the way to one of the empty tables near the back.

Setting down the trays next to each other, the pair quickly hopped onto their seats, Ozzy taking a bite of what looked like a fried Rawst berry, before exclaiming, "So good!"

Ewan couldn't help but feel curious, watching his friend chop down the rest of the berry without a second thought, picking one up with his paw carefully before taking his own bite out of it. The flavours erupted in his mouth instantly, a cacophony of sweet and heat, which left him speechless and definitely wanting for more. "It really is that good," He muttered, genuinely surprised. How Pokemon made simple berries so tasty, he'd never come to understand, but he definitely felt willing to reap the rewards of such brilliant cooking.

The pair dug into their meals, Ewan trying his best to contain himself, though noticing how most Pokemon seemed to just dig into their meals without much care for manners. He found he was the odd one out, chomping on his food with care, while everyone else was just letting go and having at it. "Pokemon sure are weird," He mumbled to himself.

"Is this seat taken?" A voice called out, Ewan glancing up from his food to see a small Turtwig peering over at the pair of them from the other side of the table, balancing his tray on his back in what had to be a pretty terrifying balancing act. Instantly, he recalled the night before that this was probably the same Turtwig who was watching over the gate, Twiggy if he recalled.

"It's free," Ewan chirped, Ozzy giving the Turtwig a friendly wave before going back to his meal. "Don't mind him, I think food's the only thing on his mind."

"Heh, I know the feeling," The Turtwig beamed. "You guys did super well getting accepted last night. I kinda saw everything."

"I'm gonna guess it was the most entertaining part of your shift," Ozzy muttered, trying to make conversation.

The Turtwig nodded, the twig on his head wilting slightly as he did so. "Gate Duty is boring. But I did kinda forget to inform a client and Aura was real mad." The Turtwig shuddered at the thought. "I'd rather not get paired up with her again any time soon, she might actually kill me."

"You're not a team, then?" Ewan asked, arching a brow in confusion.

Twiggy shook his head. "Nope, we all enter the guild with one partner, then Steel teams us up with other duos for missions. My friend Jenny and I got teamed up with Aura and Charlie, who are a duo."

"So we could be working together in the future?" Ozzy asked curiously, Twiggy nodding to his question. "Oh cool, I look forward to working with you!"

"Same here," Twiggy smiled, chomping down on a grilled oran berry as he did so. "Good luck with Steel today," He added, noticing the other two were already close to finishing their meals.

"What do you mean, with Steel?" Ewan asked, frowning. Surely they'd already gotten the tour from Steel, what else could he be planning?

Twiggy's eyes widened, surprised as he muttered, "You guys don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Ozzy asked, finishing the last of his berries as he watched the Turtwig from the corner of his eye.

"Well, actually I shouldn't say. You'll find out in a minute anyway," Twiggy mumbled, going back to his food. "But good luck again!"

"Thanks?" Ewan said awkwardly, finding himself wondering what on earth the Turtwig was talking about, though he had no time to ponder it as they needed to get to the Courtyard pronto.

Giving Twiggy a wave, the pair quickly weaved over to the counter where they dropped off their finished trays, Denise giving the pair another warm smile before they headed back out towards the Courtyard.

A few minutes later, they found themselves stepping out into the early morning air - The sun wasn't fully up and Ewan could smell the dew on the fields, feel the cool morning breeze hit his face, and he found himself overwhelmed by his senses for a moment, until Ozzy brought him back to reality when they came face to face with Steel, who was looking over one of the two large wooden notice boards set up on either side of the courtyard, specifically the one to their left upon leaving the Guild.

"Hmm, you two are ready for your day's mission, yes?" Steel asked, glancing back at the pair with an excited glint in his eye.

"Yup, ready to work!" Ozzy announced, Ewan nodding alongside him.

At that, Steel smiled, gesturing to the board behind him, before explaining, "These two boards are where you can accept your missions from. The one on the other side of the courtyard handles rescue missions, lost items and the like. If you want to take on a mission, you need to either meet with the client or send a message to them via the Pelipper post, then you handle the requirements."

"Then what's the board we're at?" Ewan asked, his interest piqued as he noticed a variety of different Pokemon photos posted on notices on the board. "Are these Pokemon important?"

"That's one way to put it. They're actually Outlaws," Steel explained, Ewan's eyes widening in shock, while Ozzy seemed even more excited at the prospect of seeing all these evildoers on the board. "We often have to take down these criminals before they cause any more trouble. As these missions are based on a bounty, you only need to defeat the outlaw and use your team's badge. If a Pokemon is registered as an outlaw, the badge will recognize it and teleport the Pokemon to the authorities."

"Seriously, our badges can do that?" Ozzy asked, surprised.

"But we don't have any team badges yet," Ewan pointed out, stopping Ozzy in his tracks.

"That's because for today's mission you won't need them," Steel explained calmly. "You'll be tracking down an outlaw, by the way."

Ewan jumped in surprise at that rather vital piece of information, "Excuse me, what?"

"Wait, Ewan's not the best battler, are you sure we should take on an outlaw first?" Ozzy scrambled.

At this, Steel let out a bark of laughter, stepping away from the board, a piece of paper in his hand. "Really now, you think I'd let you go alone after an outlaw on your first day. No, today I shall be accompanying you on your mission personally!"

"WHAT!?"


	10. Steel's Test

**Chapter 10 - Steel's Test  
**

* * *

**Paradisal Guild**

Ewan and Ozzy couldn't help but stare at the leader of the Guild in wide-eyed surprise at his affirmation that he would, in fact, be joining them on their first official mission for the guild and, not only that, but they would be taking on an outlaw on their first day. Talk about a first impression that they'd have to make if they wanted to even stand a chance at becoming first-rate members of a Destiny Team.

"Seriously, you're accompanying us?" Ozzy blurted out, practically gobsmacked by the announcement.

"That is what I said, is it not?" Steel replied while looking over the paper that he had ripped from the board mere moments before. "In order to understand your current abilities, I need to see you work first-hand out in the field."

Folding his arms, Ozzy admitted, "I guess that makes sense… I guess this is what Twiggy was warning us about in the mess hall."

Ewan couldn't help but wonder though, "What about the guild? If you run the guild, couldn't something happen while you're out training us?" It's not that he doubted Steel's leadership - The Bisharp seemed perfectly capable of running the guild, but the leader of the guild looking to train a pair of recruits fresh from being accepted? Wasn't it a little… Careless?

"The guild will be fine in my absence, Ewan," Steel replied, looking down at the Mudkip with a severity that seemed to suggest he'd already thought this through. "You don't become a guild leader without being able to plan for these sorts of ventures."

"R-Right," Ewan agreed, looking away at the floor awkwardly. Perhaps he was being a bit too critical of Steel. Or perhaps he was just nervous.

"In any case, today we shall be tackling an Outlaw who has been terrorizing the Bejeweled Basin," Steel explained, handing the paper he was holding over to Ozzy, who took it with curious hands. "The criminal is a Seviper who has been snatching gems from travellers scouring the Basin."

Ozzy scanned the paper, Ewan sidling up beside him to take a look himself, though he realized that the notice was written in those weird runes that he couldn't read. He could remember all too well the awkward look that Janet the Chansey had delivered him some days ago when he asked her to read Ozzy's note. Perhaps learning a new language was something he'd need to invest in.

"What does it say?" He asked his partner.

"Right, you can't read Footprint Runes, can you," Ozzy replied, Steel arching a brow but saying nothing more at the information. "Basically, it says that Seviper's made a base on the other end of the Bejeweled Basin. We have to go through a small dungeon of four floors to reach the base, though it warns that Seviper is a tough Pokemon and to be prepared."

"And what dungeon is it that we will be heading through?" Steel asked curiously.

' _You already know where we're going,'_  Ewan thought to himself, knowing that Steel was already testing them on their ability to read the notice fully.

"Uh… The Diamond Cavern," Ozzy answered, pointing to a spot on the paper where Ewan assumed that very location was written down. "It also says we can expect to encounter ground and rock types."

Glancing back up at Steel, Ozzy gave him a quizzical look before asking, "Do all job notices come with a dungeon description like this?"

"That is correct," The Bisharp nodded. "You would do well to read them so you know what to prepare for in the dungeon. While mystery dungeons, by their very nature, are randomly generated, by using the information about them that you do know, such as length and location, you can properly prepare for a day's expedition or rescue."

Despite the information seeming very tedious to learn about, Ewan could definitely see the merits of getting this information before entering a dungeon. Given he and Ozzy had experienced two dungeons while completely underprepared over the last few days, perhaps this information would help them to finally get a good grip on the whole exploring thing.

"So, when do we go?" Ozzy asked, looking up at their new mentor.

"As soon as we are able," Steel explained, looking at the two of them expectantly. "The Bejeweled Basin is to the north and the Diamond Cavern is on its edge. If we leave now, we should be able to reach the dungeon by the afternoon."

"The afternoon?" Ozzy choked out. "So we've got a four-hour walk ahead of us. Best to get moving before the sun rises too high, I can't stand the heat in the morning." Glancing back to Ewan, Ozzy's eyes were glistening with excitement. "I can't believe we're actually going to do a real mission! Let's give it our all, Ewan!"

"Right!" Ewan nodded, feeling that determination from his friend building up inside of him as well.

Before they could march out the gate though, Steel motioned for them to wait a moment, motioning to a small bag he had wrapped around him that neither of the Pokemon had noticed before. It seemed to emanate the same feelings as Ozzy's pouch, so Ewan assumed it was enchanted.

"Before we set off, I must give you some items to help you in today's mission," He explained, beginning to pull out a few items from his bag. Firstly, he pulled out a roll of paper, which he unfurled to show them a rather large map. "This is a Map of Pepromina," He explained simply. "It has the known locations of dungeons, towns, settlements and more."

Ozzy took the map gingerly, looking over it before motioning to Ewan.

Glancing at the map himself, Ewan was surprised to see that Pepromena itself was absolutely massive. It was seemingly split into four large regions. The southern portion of the map was tinted blue, the northern portion was tinted pink, the central portion was tinted gold and a large island to the east was tinted black.

He already had an idea of that last location, which was probably Katas, judging by Ozzy's description of the place before. Ozzy, however, was pointing towards a place on the southern coast of the blue portion of the map, where he could see a large town set up.

"Is that Paradisal Town?" He asked curiously, Ozzy nodding. "So that means right over here is…" Tracing a paw to the left across the coast, he noticed Coral Town fairly close by, illustrated by various coloured corals on the map. "Then above that is… Where I woke up." His eyes rested on the Everglade Forest where the duo had met the week before, noticing that the forest went on for quite a while west, with many other settlements further along that route.

"I would save the geography quiz for this evening," Steel explained patiently. "When you have an opportunity, you should study this map so you understand more about our land's geography."

Next up, Steel pulled out a small satchel of oran berries from his bag, tossing them over to Ozzy who caught them gratefully before stuffing them into his pouch, no explanations needed there. Next up, a shiny blue orb was tossed in Ozzy's direction, which Ozzy caught to show to Ewan.

Looking closely at the shining blue orb, Ewan noticed that there was some sort of energy swirling around just beneath the surface. "What is it?" He asked curiously, though Ozzy decided rather than telling him, he should hold it.

Passing it to his friend, who held it with his front paws while leaning back, Ewan felt the subtle thrum of energy in his hands, like he was holding some sort of an ancient power in his grasp. It felt weird, that was the best way to describe it, like static just beneath your skin. Though as he peered deeply into the orb, he suddenly found something whispering into his mind.

A voice with neither tone nor sound, yet it was clear that he could hear it.  _"This is an Escape Orb."_

"Wha- It just talked to me!?" Ewan stammered, still clutching the orb as he didn't want to accidentally damage it, glancing to his two companions with a look of pure terror. This was freaky deaky, and he wasn't afraid to say it.

Ozzy couldn't help a snort of laughter at his reaction. "That's an orb, Ewan," He chuckled, as if it were some kind of practical joke.

"I can see  _that_ ," He grumbled back, glancing over to Steel for an explanation instead, which the guild leader was more than happy to deliver.

"That, my young friend, is an Escape Orb. Where there are dungeons, there are also orbs. We have found and catalogued hundreds of different orb variations, with each orb creating a different effect for the user. The voice you heard is the orb's activation mechanism."

"Activation… Mechanism…?" Ewan muttered, clearly confused.

"Just ask it what it does, Ewan. Like, think it to the orb," Ozzy explained, though Ewan stared at him like he was a mad man. Think to an orb? An inanimate object?

Still, he didn't have any other options, did he?

' _Uh, what do you do?'_ He thought, staring back at the Escape Orb in his paws, expecting no response. So of course, the moment he heard the voice speaking in his mind again, he froze up in surprise.

" _When activated, the Escape Orb will teleport yourself and any nearby Pokemon who are willing, out of a dungeon."_

His eyes widened. That sounded like an incredibly useful item, a sure-fire way of escaping a dungeon without any consequences?

"T-That's incredible," He stammered, looking over the orb one more time before carefully handing it back to Ozzy, who slotted it into his pouch. "And there are tons of other orbs out there just like that?"

"Yup," Ozzy chirped excitedly. "I actually made a whole list of notes on them, if I can just find them." While Ozzy began digging around in his pouch for whatever notes he'd apparently made and left in there, Steel was already pulling out another item from his bag, which at a first glance looked like a simple yellow seed, though about as large as an apple.

"Seeds?" He asked, looking between the two clearly more knowledgeable Pokemon with confused curiosity.

"They're like orbs," Ozzy explained, still rummaging around in his pouch, until his face lit up with joy, pulling something out of the pouch with an exclamation of, "Got it!"

What Ewan and Steel found themselves looking at was a leather-bound book, with those footprint runes written out along the front. Ewan, realizing it would be a fruitless endeavour to figure out the language, looked to Steel, who motioned for Ozzy to pass him the book.

"Please be careful with it," Ozzy explained, handing it over to Steel, who handled the booklet with care given his rather large knife-like arms, while he passed Ozzy the yellow seed he had been holding.

Turning to Ewan, Ozzy lifted the seed up, glancing at it with a close eye, while Ewan watched his friend seemingly trying to decipher something about the item. "Hmmm… This is a blast seed, right?" Glancing over to Steel, the leader nodded. "Amazing! I've never actually seen one myself - They only appear in dungeons, so I never got the chance to find one back home."

At the mention of a home, Ewan's ears perked up. He'd heard Ozzy mention his home in passing, mainly that he was following a dream that his family wasn't sure about and that he didn't want to dwell on them, but he had to admit he was extremely curious to know where this Treecko friend of his had come from.

But Ozzy didn't dwell on the subject, stuffing the seed into his satchel without another word on the subject.

Meanwhile, Steel was flipping through the pages of Ozzy's book, a thoughtful glimmer in his expression as he turned one of the parchment pages, nodding at some of the notes he could see. "You really have catalogued a great variety of information in this book," He muttered to himself. "I'm actually impressed, I've never heard of a ban seed before, though it states here that they're native to your home region so I'm not surprised."

"I can't take full credit for that one," Ozzy admitted sheepishly, looking to the guild leader with a sombre smile. "That note came from my brother. We worked on the book together when he was still with us…"

"You have a brother?" Ewan asked pointedly. "I had no idea."

Ozzy sighed, folding his arms, "We don't exactly see eye to eye so I didn't feel the need to mention him."

Steel arched a brow at the attitude, though neither Pokemon saw fit to continue the conversation as Ewan knew how cagey Ozzy could get if pushed too far. They may be better friends than they were a few days before, but he knew that he could still screw it all up if he pushed the wrong buttons, after all.

"Well then, I would like to look at this booklet in more detail tonight, if possible?" Steel asked, handing back the leather book, which Ozzy quickly grabbed and stuffed back into his pouch. "It has enough information concealed within that I could make updates to the guild archives."

"O-Of course," Ozzy stammered, a happy smile blessing his face as he looked over to Ewan excitedly. "Anything to help out!"

' _Ozzy sure looks happy. Though I think I get it. Having his hard work be looked at so positively by Steel on his first day, it's bound to make anyone excited. Still, I had no idea Ozzy had a brother, or that they worked on dungeon stuff together. I wonder where he is…?'_ Ewan quickly headed out of his thoughts though when Steel gestured to the pair.

"It's time we depart," He announced, gesturing one of his bladed arms towards the open gate. "To the Bejeweled Basin, we go."

The two recruits nodded at the command, Ozzy quickly closing his pouch tightly so all their items would stay inside, while Ewan got ready to head out as well, looking over at his friend, who he assumed would be leading the way.

And lead he did, Ozzy marching forwards, past Steel, having pulled out the map to get an idea of where they'd need to go to get to their destination the quickest, Steel having no qualms with following after the Treecko, who strolled out of the gate quickly.

Ewan couldn't help but get the feeling that Steel had done this song and dance with all the other recruits before, though he could only hope that Steel would find something unique about the pair that would help them to stand out. Still, an outlaw mission straight off the bat, Ewan couldn't help the nerves running through his body as they all walked down the roadside towards the main countryside.

Still, he'd do his best. For Ozzy and for himself.

* * *

**The North Road**

Travelling through the Paradisal Countryside in the early morning had been quite relaxing, what with the winds blowing gently across the grassy fields, the smell of morning dew on the air and the distant bustle of the large city in the distance. Though upon reaching a crossroads, their attention had been directed to the north.

As such, they had chosen to travel along the North Road, a large dirt road that spanned from Paradisal Town all the way to the large line of mountains that Ewan had seen northwards, which he now knew from the map Ozzy was carrying, separated the Tempori region from the central and northern regions of the country.

"The North Road actually leads straight to the capital," Ozzy had explained while they were walking, Steel strolling along at a leisurely pace behind them to monitor the pair without too much supervision. He didn't seem one for peaceful chit-chat, to be fair.

"And the capital is…?" Ewan asked, really wanting an answer this time. He knew the capital had to be in that central region, that much was for sure, but still, he wanted a name to a place.

"Avra Vasilias," Ozzy replied casually. "It's the largest city in Pepromena, built high into the mountains. I've never been there myself, but it's basically a giant fortress with a town inside."

"Sounds impressive," Ewan admitted, the mental image enough to leave him wondering what the place was like. He definitely wanted to visit the capital if he had the chance, just based on the brief description alone.

"You know that to become a fully fledged Destiny Team, you need to visit the capital upon graduation for official licenses," Steel added from behind them, with Ozzy nodding an affirmative to the Bisharp who was walking behind them.

"So we'll definitely be going there sometime," Ozzy stated.

If becoming a fully fledged Destiny Team meant getting to visit an impressive sounding place like Avra Vasilias, Ewan could definitely get on board with that.

The morning wore on as they continued their trek up the rather featureless road, passing by a few Pokemon and their carts along the way, giving polite waves to them as they did so. Every now and then, Ewan would ask his friend different questions about the new world he was in, picking up little tidbits of knowledge as he went.

By the time they'd gotten halfway from the guild to their destination, he had learned the names of the remaining two regions in Pepromena. Aside from the Tempori region which they were in, there was Katas across the ocean, Choris to the north and Archai to the centre, where Avra Vasilias was.

Though Ewan had to stop Ozzy before he started getting into deities, explaining that he was already trying to remember enough names as it was and any more would make his head burst.

"Seriously, it's so weird needing to teach this stuff to someone my age," Ozzy admitted, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "Your circumstances are beyond normal though, so it's fine."

"I'm grateful," Ewan smiled back, "I mean that, I really am. Still, this world is so different from what I'm used to, I'm sure of it. While I don't remember much about the h-" Though he cut off his sentence before he could finish.

Ozzy gave his friend a bemused stare, though Ewan very minutely gestured towards Steel, hoping the leader wouldn't notice.

Though if Steel did notice Ewan's slight head tilt, he didn't say anything, glancing up at some Pidgeys that were circling overhead.

"As I was saying," Ewan whispered, this time keeping his voice low so Steel couldn't hear. "I don't remember the human world, but it definitely wasn't this… natural."

"And you still haven't remembered anything?" Ozzy folded his arms as he walked, which Ozzy was starting to recognize as his friend's serious stance for when he wanted to talk about serious stuff. "Anything at all?"

"Nothing," Ewan sighed, shaking his head. "Nothing concrete, though…"

Ewan's voice trailed off, though as at that moment his mind seemed to ping, a sudden vivid flash of colour interrupting his thoughts. His breathing hitched ever so slightly as he was suddenly aware of those dreams he had been having. So much had happened that of course, he didn't have time to dwell on them, but perhaps talking about them could shed some light.

"...Actually, there may be something," He replied thoughtfully. "Though I'm not really sure myself so I don't know if it really matters."

"Well, what is it?" Ozzy asked, his full attention on his friend.

"I… I've been having-"

Though before he could say anything else, Steel's voice rang out behind them, "Should we not be leaving the road here, Ozzy?"

With a flustered yelp, Ozzy's eyes dashed back to the map he'd been holding, tracing their route and looking around at the countryside as he moved a finger towards a rather rocky looking area on the map to the left of the North Road, which lo and behold happened to be on their left as Ewan turned west, noticing how the grassy fields began to merge into a rather rocky terrain. The green of the grass turned to orange as the ground began to change, earth becoming stone, though as he looked around from their vantage point on the road, he could still see splotches of grass and plants growing here and there.

It was almost desert-like, but without the sands, though it seemed that was their destination, as Ozzy quickly made a sharp left turn, gesturing towards the rocky region.

"Next time, pay more attention to the navigation," Steel stated, walking past the pair. "I shall lead the rest of the way, as the rocks can be treacherous to navigate for newcomers to the area."

"Right, sorry," Ozzy stammered, speeding up to catch up with their mentor, Ewan following suit.

Though as they transitioned from the comfortable springy grass to the cragged rocky region, he began to feel small pinpricks of pain under his paws, realizing that every little stone was going to a problem at this point.

"This is why humans wear shoes," He muttered to himself, Ozzy glancing back at him with a bemused expression.

"What's a shoe?" He asked.

Ewan glanced down to his paws, gesturing to them as he walked, "You wear them around your feet to protect them from the elements like rocks and stuff." And boy did he wish he had a good pair of trainers given he just felt a rather jagged rock underneath one of his back legs.

This was going to be a long hike…

* * *

**Bejeweled Basin**

"We're coming up on the basin," Steel called back to the two starter Pokemon, the Bisharp sitting at the edge of a rather large grey rock, which was at the top of a small ridge, which they had been climbing.

Ewan had never heard such sweet words, for though his paws were beginning to get used to the terrain, the lack of any water in the air was bothering him far more than he would have liked, and as they had travelled the sun had risen higher and higher until it was directly above them, which only served to heat the rocks up further.

Ozzy was faring much better, practically bathing in the sun, though as they had walked, he had noticed Ozzy brushing some beads of sweat from his brow. It didn't help that there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, which gave the arid rocky wasteland they had found themselves traversing a more desert-like feel.

"It's just over this ridge?" Ozzy asked, once they had caught up with Steel, who simply gestured with his blades.

Scrambling up the next rock, Ozzy was the first to look out upon the basin, his eyes widening at the sight.

Stretching out in what seemed to be a perfect circle from where they were to the other side many miles away, was a massive circular basin. Created from the rocky mountains they had been traversing to reach this spot, the basin sloped all the way downwards into the earth beneath them.

Trees lined the hills that led downwards and Ewan could hear, in the distance, the sound of rushing water, hopping up by his front paws beside Ozzy to get a good view himself. The first thing he noticed was the sparkling of a small lake in the centre of the basin, which seemed to be down a second hole that they could see from the top of the basin.

"The lake at the centre of this basin is actually underground, though there is a large hole that pierces through the ceiling," Steel explained. "Though that is not our target. Instead, we're aiming for that over there."

Pointing a bladed arm, their eyes were drawn towards some cave entrances that, as Ewan looked around, seemed to dot the cliffs around the basin. Some were concealed by the trees that were growing there, but there were definitely paths into the cliffs here, which he assumed led to the mystery dungeons of the area.

"So which one is Diamond Cavern?" Ozzy asked curiously, glancing to their mentor for clarification.

"Each cave is marked with a jewel above its entrance, a way for Pokemon to tell which caves link up to where," Steel explained, the Bisharp hopping over the rock they were on to skid slightly down the other side of the ridge. "Careful moving down this terrain. You wouldn't want to slip, it could prove fatal."

With that warning stuck in their minds, Ewan and Ozzy very carefully began to manoeuvre their way after Steel down the ridge, trying not to take any steps down any steep inclines, with Ewan especially trying to keep his balance given he had all four of his legs to worry about.

Multiple times, Ewan found himself struggling with the terrain, needing Ozzy's help to get him down some of the harder hills, with the Mudkip whispering kind thank you's to the grass type every time. He knew he was holding Ozzy back from speeding his way after Steel, but he was glad his friend was willing to help him from struggling too much.

Steel, however, didn't seem too phased by this, watching them from further ahead as he marked the safest pathways down into the basin, while Ozzy and Ewan attempted to continue following him, scaring a few wild Rattatas and Spearows along the way as the slipped down the ridge.

Finally, much to Ewan's intense relief, they found themselves able to rest for a moment after reaching a good halfway down the ridge, with Steel explaining that the Diamond Cavern entrances were all around this level of the basin.

"I think I almost died about five times," Ewan groaned, looking back up at the steep cliff with a glare.

"You wouldn't have died with me around," Ozzy grinned, breathing a little heavily from helping Ewan, but looking absolutely elated at the whole situation.

"You're really loving this, aren't you," Ewan asked incredulously.

"And you're not?" Ozzy asked excitedly. "We're exploring, like actually exploring. We just had to hike down a rocky ridge where we could have easily hurt ourselves, but we didn't and we're adventuring!"

"Of course I teamed up with the adrenaline junkie of the Pokemon World," Ewan snorted to himself, quietly enough that neither of the others would hear him.

Steel watched them, raising a brow at their conversation before adding, "You both showed great teamwork scaling the ridge. You'd be surprised at how many recruits were willing to leave their teammate to scale tough terrain due to their drive for adventure."

"You mean that was a test?" Of course, it was, Ewan should have seen that coming. This whole mission was a test after all.

"You catch on quick, Ewan," Steel mused, glancing towards his right, where around thirty feet away, they could see a rather large looking cave entrance. "Though this is where the real test begins. That cavern is the entrance to the Diamond Cavern, the dungeon from your mission."

"And we have to beat it," Ozzy muttered quietly to himself, though not before glancing up at their teacher, asking, "I'm guessing the items we got this morning are supposed to be used in the field, right?"

"I wouldn't have given them to you otherwise," Steel shrugged. "Whether you choose to use the items I provided is up to you, your main task is to get through the dungeon." With that, Steel pushed himself up from where he was leaning, moving over towards the dungeon entrance.

Glancing upwards, Ewan and Ozzy could see a rather clear looking crystal hanging from the entrance, shining in the afternoon sun. "Is that a real diamond?" Ewan stammered, surprised at the sheer size of the crystal. It was almost as big as him.

He could already sense it - In the human world, they would kill for diamonds that large.

"Indeed it is - You seem surprised though. Diamonds are fairly common at market stalls here in Pepromena," Steel replied, his gaze resting on the Mudkip with an inscrutable look in his eyes, his mouth curled up in thought.

"R-Right, of course they are. I just… I haven't seen one before myself, so I'm a little surprised, that's all," Ewan backpedalled, knowing full well that he wasn't convincing anyone if the questionable look Ozzy was giving him said anything.

"So anyway," Ozzy cut in, trying to defuse the sudden tension. "We've got four floors to get through, so should we go in?"

"No time like the present," Ewan stiffly muttered, strolling forwards towards Steel and the cave.

Though as they approached, he could feel that familiar eerie sensation wash over his skin, like it was being electrified underneath. There was a rather stuffy feeling as they reached the cave entrance, though he hadn't ever experienced a cavernous dungeon before, so perhaps this was only natural.

"It feels claustrophobic," Ozzy stated quietly.

"You'll get used to it," Steel replied, tone serious. "When you're ready, we'll begin."

"Are we ready?" Ewan asked, looking over to the Treecko he called a partner, who was looking through their pouch, before taking out two oran berries and slotting them into a little outside pocket that he had.

"I'd rather have healing on standby," Ozzy explained when he saw Ewan's stare. "It's safer to have them at the ready, than for me to have to search through my bag for something to heal us."

"Wise choice," Steel remarked. "You seem prepared. Shall we?"

The two smaller Pokemon nodding in agreement, the trio turned to face the cavern entrance, Ewan noticing that the cavern walls, from the moment they stepped forward into the cave, were discoloured and chalky.

Moments later, the sunlight they had brought in with them suddenly vanished, Ewan spinning around to find a rock wall where the entrance had been.

"No going back now," He muttered to himself, looking over to the other two, who were looking around similarly.

"You never get used to that," Steel muttered silently, stepping forwards, the duo following him into the dark unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't think I'd have this chapter out so soon, but given it was a pretty boring travel chapter, I wanted to get through it. Mainly, I wanted to do some world building for this continent that I really need to map out at some point. 
> 
> I'm winging the geographical locations as I go. I also added in the term "Freaky Deaky" as an in-joke, thought I did pretty well with that.
> 
> Also, for the Basin area, imagine the city area from Made in Abyss, but without the massive hole into hell and more forested with caves. 
> 
> So yeah, fun times!


	11. The Diamond Cavern

**Chapter 11 - The Diamond Cavern!**

* * *

**Diamond Cavern B1F**

There was something very different about a dungeon being underground. Perhaps it was the way that the twists and turns that made up a Mystery Dungeon's corridors actually felt like a dungeon, as opposed to the forest mazes he was used to up to this point, or perhaps it was the perpetual darkness, lit up by the faintest hum of some mystical energy that lingered in the caves.

Whatever the case, that eerie feeling that always seemed to accompany them when they entered a dungeon had multiplied tenfold, combined with the claustrophobic nature of the tunnels that the trio had to pass through and, through it all, Ewan had to admit he was feeling it in his bones.

That anticipation and fear of being in an unknown place.

He had wondered how some Pokemon could get lost in these dungeons without a chance of escape and only now was he realizing the extent of how dangerous these spatial anomalies were to the general populace. There was a distinct pressure that weighed heavily upon you as you walked, and while he was at least confident in his ability to keep moving, to the average Pokemon, he was really starting to understand how they could lose their nerve.

"Are you both acclimating to the pressure, yet?" Steel asked calmly, the Bisharp deciding to lead the way for the first floor.

Ewan glanced over to his partner, who looked to be in a similar state of mind as himself. They were both definitely feeling the effects of the mystery dungeon in a way they hadn't experienced before, though Ewan was the first to reply, "As best as I can, I think." Ozzy remained silent though, his eyes glancing around the corridor they were in warily.

Letting out a short huff, Steel replied, "It can be quite intrusive on your mind, the first time you enter an underground dungeon. Unlike outdoor dungeons, where the space is much large and open, all of the mystical energy that creates a dungeon is concentrated into the tunnels themselves."

"That's why we're feeling the pressure all of a sudden," Ozzy muttered quietly. "I didn't think it would feel this oppressive."

"And yet, if you wish to become a Destiny Team, you must overcome such feelings," Steel reminded, looking at them with a challenging stare, his eyes darting between them, before turning back to the path ahead.

"Does it affect you?" Ewan asked, taking a deep breath afterwards, feeling some of the pressure beginning to alleviate.

"You never get used to it," Steel replied, without taking his eyes off of the path. "You simply learn to tolerate it."

With those hollow words, Steel's attention was set solely on leading the team towards the exit of the floor, Ewan taking the time to try and look around at the scenery of the dungeon, anything to keep his mind off of the dungeon's ominous presence.

He could definitely see why this place was called the Diamond Cavern though, as the walls were littered with the crystals here there and everywhere. The walls were a chalky grey, like the stone was slowly beginning to erode away, yet the diamonds themselves were clear to the touch, unclaimed by the aura of the dungeon, a small taste of the world outside.

Ozzy was clutching the strap of his pouch tightly while they padded along, twisting and turning left and right until finally, they emerged into a decently sized cavern, the Treecko glancing around warily for any Pokemon that might attempt to jump out at them. Luckily, there was nothing.

Still looking around, Ozzy suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, his body tensing up as he jumped slightly into the air, eyes widened as he spun around to see Ewan looking at him, eyes filled with concern.

"Wha- D-Don't scare me like that," Ozzy breathed with relief.

"Sorry, you just looked tense," Ewan admitted, tilting his head slightly to look his friend in the face. "You like kind of pale, actually. Are you sure you're okay?"

"It's not like you to be asking me that," Ozzy replied, putting on a smile for his friend. "I'm fine, really, I am."

"If you're as fine as you say you are, perhaps you would be willing to knock out the Geodude sleeping by our destination," Steel muttered, butting into their conversation while pointing towards the other side of the large cavern.

Their eyes followed his point, resting on a small rock-type Pokemon that was sleeping next to, what seemed to be, a hole in the floor. They were too far away for Ewan to really see what the hole was, though from the way Steel was talking, it had to be the exit to the next floor.

Ozzy tensed up again once he saw their opponent, but with the Geodude sleeping, it gave him, and the other two, ample time to carefully make their way towards the slumbering rock type without it noticing them. Steel's footsteps were silent, making no noise, while Ewan attempted to be as silent as he could, though his success was limited to very light tapping sounds, while Ozzy was silent, his paws naturally padded for stealth.

Without saying a word, Ozzy crept forwards, his eyes locked onto the target, crouching downwards into a pouncing motion. Then, with Steel's eyes trained on him, Ozzy leapt into the air, opening his mouth to summon a hail of bullet seeds straight from his gullet.

The seeds deftly flew through the air, striking the hard head of the rock Pokemon, which awoke with a startled cry, raising its arms in a desperate attempt to alleviate the sudden pain that was being administered. But before it could do anything else, Ozzy was already falling towards it, twisting in the air to slam his leafy tail straight into the cranium of the Geodude with a sickening thwap.

Ewan could hear the crunch of the rock on the Geodude's forehead from where they stood, grimacing as he watched the Geodude limply falter backwards, fainting on the spot from the surprise attack, collapsing in a heap on the cavern floor.

Ozzy, bouncing off of the Pokemon's head, deftly landed on the ground a few paces away, taking a few deep breaths as he turned to the pair watching him. But what Ewan noticed most of all as they were approaching him was that the overwhelming tension in his muscles had dissipated.

"Battling is a good way to relieve the stress of a dungeon," Steel simply stated, walking past the Treecko who seemed miles better than he had been minutes before.

"That's one way to cure the jitters," Ewan mused, looking over to his friend with an impressed grin at his battling skills.

After Ozzy had a moment to breathe, they found Steel standing beside the hole that Ewan had seen from the other side of the room, though he was surprised to find a rather large set of worn ancient steps leading deeper into the dungeon. And upon closer inspection, the worn ancient stone they were hewn from was the exact same as the pillars he had seen from the outdoor dungeons.

Was it something about the material these waypoints were made of that allowed them to pass deeper into the dungeons? A mystery for another time perhaps.

"From this point onwards, I'd like you both to lead the way," Steel explained before they got the chance to walk down the steps. "I am sure you'll both do fine."

"Of course," Ewan replied with a nod. "This is a test after all…"

* * *

**Diamond Cavern B2F**

The trio of explorers hopped down the stairwell with relative ease, coming to the bottom where they found themselves in an identical looking cavern to the one they had just entered from. Of course, this was to be expected. Dungeons were each based around a sole area, though compared to the outdoor dungeons, the changes in the environment where a less obvious, more nuanced.

The chalky walls were ever so slightly darker, but you wouldn't be able to tell unless you were looking closely, while the floor felt a little rougher on their paws, Ewan feeling specks of dirt poking at his feet. Though it was nothing compared to the hike to the Basin itself, so he couldn't find himself too irritated.

Glancing back once they stepped forwards onto the new floor, Ewan was shocked to see that the stairwell had already vanished, any pathway leading back to the upper floor gone in an instant.

"That was quick," He muttered to himself, dwelling on the ceiling where they had come from. It was weird to imagine that the rooms were probably shifting around into a completely different configuration, after all.

"Alright, let's lead the way, Ewan!" Ozzy announced with a hushed whisper, snapping the Mudkip's attention back to his team.

Steel was watching him curiously, ever analyzing their performance. He wouldn't let their mentor down, nor Ozzy either.

"You should lead the way," Ewan replied, Ozzy giving him an odd look. "I can't use my water attacks, right? Since Steel can't lead, you're the one with the best attacks for the types we're fighting here. Steel should be at the rear so he can stop enemies from sneaking up on us."

"That makes sense, but what are you going to do?" Ozzy asked, raising a brow. "We could really use your water gun attack, but mud slap should work just as well against the rock types."

"Well uh… I guess I could map the floor out?" He suggested, glancing around at the dungeon walls. "We'll need to get better at navigating anyway, so let me keep track of where we've been."

Steel said nothing, allowing the pair to figure out their own plans, with Ozzy ultimately relenting and going with Ewan's strategy. He wasn't trying to avoid the heavy work, he really wasn't, but if they wanted to get through this dungeon quickly, this was the best way forward.

With Ozzy at the lead, Steel in the back and Ewan in the middle making mental notes, they headed out of the room they started in, following a corridor on their right until they reached a split path.

"Which way should we go?" Ozzy called back to his friend.

"Right is always right, at least I think that's how the saying goes," Ewan replied perkily.

Giving the Mudkip a thumbs up, Ozzy continued to lead the group down the right path, Ewan noting the length of the corridor, while if any Pokemon were following them, Steel hadn't announced anything. Perhaps the presence of a Pokemon like Steel was acting as a ward against the wilds of the dungeon.

Finally, they emerged into a small room, though it was only moments after they had entered that they heard a feral cry, Ewan's eyes dashing to their left where, from the darkness, a rather angry looking Nidorino was stomping towards them, the magenta Pokemon glaring at them with attacking on his mind.

"Damnit, bullet seed's not effective against Nidorino," Ozzy muttered to himself, snapping his head back to Ewan as he quickly whispered, "Mud slap is super effective. Mudkips are able to learn it pretty early."

"How would I use it though?" Ewan asked as he bounded forwards to give his friend some backup.

"Flick your tail at the ground and think above it slapping mud at your opponent. I think you can generate the mud if you try hard enough," Ozzy replied back tersely, dodging a claw swipe from the Nidorino, his bright yellow eyes practically begging for support.

He didn't have time to think, he needed to act.

Dashing forward, he leapt into the room, aiming for the Nidorino who was so intent on attacking his friend, slamming into the young Pokemon with a hard tackle to the side, which caused the Nidorino to stumble backwards.

"Quick, while it's stunned!" Ozzy hissed to him.

Ewan couldn't help the nerves settling in his stomach though. He was being asked to perform a move he didn't think he knew how to use, but taking Ozzy's advice and remembering how he tail whipped the Ivysaur from the day before, he figured he'd just need to do the same thing but hit the floor instead.

Whirling around in a circle, he allowed his back fin to slide onto the ground with a smooth fluid motion, right as the Nidorino charged back towards the pair, eyes intent on giving Ewan a scratch he'd not soon forget. Closing his eyes, continuing his movement, he finally allowed his tail to flick forwards in the direction of the Nidorino, expecting the Pokemon to smack straight into him.

Only instead he heard the rough scratching sounds of the ground being dug up, snapping his eyes open to see that large flecks of mud had launched themselves into his opponent with a rather visceral thwap sound. The slapping of the mud and the surprised cry of the Nidorino, whose eyes were now covered in gunk, was all Ewan needed before instinct allowed him to charge forwards to slam straight into the Pokemon's chest.

The Nidorino was launched backwards, completely unprepared for the onslaught, slamming into the rock wall behind them where it limply dropped to the floor.

"I actually learned Mud Slap," Ewan muttered in genuine surprise.

"That was brilliant, Ewan," Ozzy replied, pure pride radiating from his tone. "You're picking up battling so quickly."

"Indeed, that was your first attempt using a Mud Slap and you were successful. While it is a move that many Mudkip learn from a young age, they often struggle to perform the action so flawlessly. Titan may have a prodigy on his hands if your water abilities come just as naturally," Steel praised, walking towards them.

Only for a loud cry to fill the room, a rather vicious pair of Zubat launching themselves from the ceiling straight towards the Bisharp, intent on cleaning up the unsuspecting Pokemon after their battle with the Nidorino.

Those Zubat really needed to reconsider their life choices though as one moment they were charging, the next they were on the ground unconscious, with the only indicator that they had been struck being the minute slicing sound accompanied by Steel's arms as they raised and dropped briefly.

"Woah," Ozzy awed, looking to the Zubat, then to their leader, eyes wide like the sun.

"Never let your guard down, especially when a battle is won," Steel replied, glancing down at the two bat Pokemon, who were unmoving. "Like those Zubat, other Pokemon may seek to take advantage of you after a bout. Don't give them that opportunity."

"Did you see how fast that was, Ewan?" Ozzy gawked, eyes still following Steel with an impressed gaze.

"It was like he hadn't even moved at all," Ewan muttered back. Those reflexes, Steel must have honed them through many intense battles to take down opponents so quickly.

 _'Am I glad that he's on our side and not against us. I don't think I could imagine going up against that sort of strength,'_  He thought to himself, breathing a sigh of relief as the cavern fell silent.

"So which way should we go next, Ewan?" Ozzy asked out of the blue, his eyes now trained on the Mudkip, who froze.

Which way had they entered again? Oh… Oh no, the cavern they were in had four exits at all the cardinal directions. For a brief moment his mind began to panic as he tried to recall his navigation, only for his eyes to settle on the fainted Pokemon they had battled, realizing that they were probably fainted by the entrance the trio had entered from.

"Not that way," Ewan deadpanned, pointing back down the way they had travelled, turning around to point straight ahead. "May as well keep going forwards."

"Mkay. For a moment there it looked like you'd forgotten where we'd been."

Ewan stayed silent at that, trudging forwards before Ewan could continue his conversation. "I'll take the lead this time."

The trio quickly exited the small cavern, heading down another dark cold corridor until they emerged into another small cavernous room, where luckily, Ewan could see the stairs to the next floor right there in the corner. "Lucky guess," He muttered.

"Luck or no, I'm not complaining," Ozzy replied from next to him.

* * *

**Diamond Cavern B3F**

Descending the steps to the third floor of the dungeon, Ewan was surprised to find himself squinting as a rather sharp light hit his eyes the moment they had passed the threshold between floors.

"Why is it so bright, all of a sudden?" He muttered, looking down to the floor to try and avoid the light.

"Dungeons are naturally lit up via the force that controls them," Steel replied, clearly unaffected by the sudden change of brightness, while Ozzy forged on ahead to the bottom of the steps. "This floor, however, is reflecting that light back at us."

"Reflecting?"

"Ewan, the walls," Ozzy stammered, glancing around in surprise. "They're covered in diamonds!"

Finally willing himself to look up, glancing around the dungeon, he could see that Ozzy was indeed correct. Where the entrance to the cavern had a sole diamond embedded above it, this floor was entirely covered in the clear shining crystals, from the floors to the ceiling. It was like stepping into a cave of crystal.

"This is crazy," Ozzy exclaimed, rushing to the nearest wall to examine the diamonds closest to him with intense interest.

"This is just a side-effect of the dungeon's curse," Steel explained, walking up to the wall next to Ozzy to examine the gems himself. "Dungeons are known for taking the land they engulf and, for lack of a better term, blowing it out of proportion."

"Blowing it out of proportion?" Ewan curiously asked, strolling up to the other two to see Ozzy attempting to chip a diamond off of the wall. "You sure we should be taking diamonds from this place?"

"I don't see the harm," Ozzy shrugged, motioning to the cavern around them as he said, "This place has enough of them as it is. They won't miss a single gem."

"I'm afraid you won't be successful."

Ozzy turned to Steel, wide-eyed and confused. "What do you mean? They're right there, aren't they?"

Rather than reply to the Treecko, Steel merely raised one of his bladed arms to the diamond and sliced downwards. There was a slight scratching sound, but once Steel's arm had finished it's cutting movement, the two younger Pokemon were surprised to find that the diamond he had attempted to cut off was still on the wall.

Lifting his arm, they could see, with a surprised look, that his arm was somewhat scratched from the attempt. "A-Are you alright?" Ewan asked, concern shooting through his body at what looked like a pretty serious scratch.

"This is nothing," Steel replied tersely. "But as you can see, while a dungeon may have features that look breakable, a dungeon's walls are entirely indestructible. There is simply no way to break that which has been cursed."

"That sucks…" Ozzy grumbled, more to himself than anyone else, looking at the diamond he had been attempting to pry out with an irritated frown.

"C'mon, I'm sure the money we get from this job will cheer you up," Ewan sighed, rolling his eyes at his Partner's antics.

Leaving the diamonds behind, the trio continued further into the dungeon, twisting and turning through the well-lit corridors. Often, they would hear wild Pokemon growling in the distance and divert their path accordingly, wanting to keep themselves fit for the fight against the outlaw at the end of the dungeon.

Though this meant they spent longer than usual searching for a good path to go down, and it didn't stop them from running into a few wild Pokemon, which Ozzy and Ewan took care of in timely fashion, but finally they were able to reach a large open cave that seemed to stretch far beyond the rooms they had come across previously.

It was massive and, much to Ewan's relief, he could see the stairwell going down right at the other side of the cavernous hall. There was nothing else to be found, no items or Pokemon, so they quickly hurried over towards the stairwell, glad for the good luck.

Only their luck wasn't so good, as once they had just crossed the halfway point of the room, Ewan noticed something out of the ordinary. Or rather, heard something out of the ordinary.

Glancing backwards, he found himself stopping, unsure as to whether he had actually heard anything, or whether it was simply the echoes of the Diamond Cavern playing tricks on his senses.

_**Rumble** _

"What was that?" He hissed, now sure he'd heard it right.

A low rumbling sound that was far off, but if he had to guess, it was slowly getting closer.

Ozzy was already walking ahead, almost at the stairwell when he glanced back to see Ewan standing still by the halfway point of the room. "Ewan, are you alright?" He called out.

"Can you hear a rumbling sound?" Ewan called back, still trying to listen out for the sound he heard before.

Steel, taking a pause, raised himself to full height, pressing a hand to his ear in an attempt to hear what the Mudkip was hearing. And then he caught it.

_**Rumble** _

"We need to move, now!" Steel suddenly barked, alarm in his tone.

Ewan snapped back to his leader, eyes widened at the sudden fear in his voice, Ozzy reacting in a similar manner as he backed towards the stairwell, looking very surprised. "What's wrong?" He timidly asked as Steel and Ewan began to head towards him.

"A foe neither of you are capable of fighting is approaching!" He sternly stated, practically dashing to where the Treecko was, Ewan a little ways behind.

Though before Ewan could reach the pair, that low rumbling suddenly turned to shaking, feeling shards of rock beginning to drop and crash from the ceiling. "Woah?!" He exclaimed, dodging a rather brutal looking sharp rock that had almost crushed his head. "An earthquake?"

"Ewan, get here quickly!" Steel commanded, their guardian glancing behind the Mudkip, leaning down into a battle stance.

"T-Trying!" Ewan stammered, finding the ground too shaky to get a good jumping momentum, feeling himself tumbling forwards as he tried to make it the rest of the way towards the group.

"Something's coming!" Ozzy's voice rang out, the Treecko rather terrifyingly pointing towards the entrance they had come in from, where in the murky darkness of the corridor, a rather large, towering and imposing figure was sliding across the ground towards them.

And as Ewan turned around to get a glimpse of what was chasing them, his eyes widened in both fear and surprise.

Sliding in, spanning from the ground to the ceiling, slithering towards them, was the largest Pokemon he had ever seen. It looked like a giant snake made of various rocks, with a large horned head that glared down at him with intimidating eyes.

Immediately he had flashbacks to the day before when that Ivysaur had kept him paralyzed with only a look, and with the knowledge that Pokemon were able to cause that effect by a simple gaze, he tore himself away from the rock snake, leaping forwards as the ground continued to tremble until he was finally able to reach his friend.

Ozzy grabbed him by the paw and roughly pulled him backwards, while Steel quickly shielded them as stray rocks were sent flying their way, Ewan and Ozzy quickly rushing for the stairs as per Steel's original command.

Their mentor was right behind them, shepherding them towards the path down to the final floor of the dungeon as the gargantuan rock Pokemon lunged towards them, passing by the halfway point of the room in mere seconds.

"Down the stairs, quickly!" Steel ordered loudly, Ewan and Ozzy quickly reaching and hopping down the stairs two at a time, Steel close behind.

Luckily, the stairs seemed unaffected by the earthquake caused by the snake up above, the trio racing down right as the Pokemon crashed into the wall above them. And then there was silence.

* * *

**Diamond Cavern B4F**

The trio collapsed at the bottom of the stairs, Ewan heavily breathing from the sprinting he had just done, feeling the fear slowly beginning to subside from his system as he glanced up to see the stairs had vanished, that monstrous Pokemon locked behind on the previous floor.

"What on earth was that?" Ewan asked. "It was like a massive rock snake or something, and it was huge!"

"That was an Onix," Ozzy replied. "Big rock snake, like you said. I've seen a few friendly ones in the past, never seen one that angry before."

"Those creatures are fearsome foes," Steel said. "I have faced my fair share of Onix attacks, but you two are not ready to battle them, not yet. One false move and you could have been knocked out with a single blow."

"Thanks for the warning then," Ewan said, getting his breathing back to normal. "At least we're out of that guy's way, right?"

Ozzy shook his head though. "If an Onix was on that floor, there could be an Onix on this floor too. We need to keep-" Though Ozzy's breath was caught in his throat the moment he turned towards Ewan and Steel. His mouth opened, aghast with what could only be described as sheer horror.

"Ozzy?" Ewan asked quickly. "What's wrong?"

Grunting, Steel span around in the direction that Ozzy was facing, only to choke out a shocked gasp.

And turning in that direction, Ewan too felt himself freeze up when he saw exactly what they were staring at.

They hadn't noticed it when they walked in, of course they hadn't, they'd been running from a terrible creature after all. They were too busy to notice that this room of the dungeon was a little different - To the left, the right, forwards and back, there were no other exits. Just one large room.

And right there, in the centre, guarding the staircase, was the slumbering form of an Onix. Only this one was unique - Unlike the one they had encountered on the previous floor, this Onix was entirely see-through, and it took Ewan only a moment to realize why.

"It's made of diamond," He whispered in shock. The same diamond that lined the walls, that was practically unbreakable according to Steel.

"Quiet!" Steel hissed. "Any noise and it will awaken."

"S-Sorry," Ewan stammered, through when Ozzy had to actually cover his mouth for him after that reply, he realized he'd do better to shut up.

"Alright, both of you to the walls. Inch around until you can reach the staircase and go." Steel stepped forwards, glancing back at them with a steely glare. "I will distract the beast. Wait for me outside of the dungeon."

 _'Seriously, he's going to go toe-to-toe with that Diamond Onix?'_  Ewan thought to himself, feeling Ozzy pulling him against the cragged wall, while Steel inched closer to the Onix itself.

The two young Pokemon began to slowly make their way around the room, being careful to keep their footfalls as silent as possible, while Steel had the same approach, just instead of getting to the stairs, he was going straight for the Onix sleeping around the stairs.

This kept going for a few minutes until Ozzy and Ewan found themselves behind the Onix, able to see where the hole to freedom was, the pair now waiting for their leader to give them a signal.

Then they heard it. Steel cried out loudly, dashing forwards into the Diamond Onix with a slash of his knives. The clang echoed through the room, Steel launching himself backwards with his momentum to get to a safe distance.

Rumbling filled the air as, little by little, the clear diamond body of the Onix began to tremble and slither, a large feral roar filling the air as the Onix awakened from its slumber to the view of a rather small looking Bisharp, who was ready for a fight.

" ** _Graaaaaaaaaaaah!_** " The roar sounded again, the beast clearly enraged at this intruder upon his nesting ground.

Meanwhile, Ewan could feel his body tense up, side-glancing at Ozzy who was clearly feeling the exact same. The pair of them were just trying to stay as still as possible, praying that the creature wouldn't turn its attention on them. Another roar, spine-chilling to the bone, the Onix launched itself forwards, straight towards Steel, who held his ground.

Right as the Onix's horn went to slam into Steel, the Bishard raised his sharp knives in a defence stance, pushing against the horn to deflect the Onix's attack. Wincing from the sheer ferocity of the blow, Steel felt himself sliding backwards ever so slightly, the Onix's attention solely on him.

"Now's our chance!" Ozzy hissed, launching forwards from the wall, Ewan's front left paw clutched in his own as he began to quickly race the pair of them towards the stairs.

Rocks were beginning to fall, just like before, an earthquake rocking the room as the pair bobbed and weaved through the small bits of debris to reach the stairs, though as they reached them, Ewan couldn't help but turn his attention to their leader still in there.

Would he be alright against this kind of a foe? What if he needed help?

"We can't just leave him to fight on his own," Ewan growled, wanting nothing more than to dash over there and fight, that desire to battle racing through his blood.

"He ordered us to leave," Ozzy hissed, grabbing at Ewan's paw before the Mudkip had a say in the matter, dragging them down the stairs and out of sight of the battle, much to Ewan's surprise and almost retaliation. "He's more experienced than us. He'll be fine."

Pulling Ewan down the rest of the staircase, the water type could only watch with fear as the passageway behind them began to seal away, turning to face his friend with a mixture of emotions.

Hurt that he'd just pull him away like that, but understanding that it was what Steel ordered, Ewan felt the best course of action was to stamp on the floor loudly, letting out some of his frustrations, while Ozzy just watched him silently with an unreadable gaze.

Though that changed the moment they heard voices on the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew from the get-go that I wanted to really showcase Steel's abilities, but also show that he's not some overpowered character. I didn't touch upon it too much, but Steel had actually seen those Zubat before he approached, so he knew they'd attack, but he wasn't going to reveal that to Ewan or Ozzy and ruin his chance to show off.
> 
> But still, will he do well against a Diamond Onix? Who knows? Ewan certainly doesn't seem to think so.


	12. Thieves & Rogues

**Chapter 12 - Thieves and Rogues**

* * *

**Lower Bejeweled Basin**

Ewan's angry outburst at having been pulled away from helping their mentor was suddenly forgotten the moment they heard voices on the wind, the Mudkip freezing mid-stomp to the ground, while Ozzy's yellow eyes widened in fear, the pair glancing at each other with uncertain eyes.

" _Hide!"_ Ozzy finally hissed, gesturing towards some fallen rocks that littered the side of the cavern path they found themselves on.

The pair of Pokemon quickly dove into the debris, trying to make as little noise as possible, ending up behind a rather large pair of boulders which had fallen loose of the mountainside above, providing them ample cover under its shadows as the voices they heard began to come closer.

"-and you have the products for us?" A male-sounding voice asked.

"Indeed, I've been stealing from every Pokemon in the region for this transaction, let me tell you," A rather rattling voice hissed.

' _That must be the Seviper that was mentioned on the outlaw notice. Nobody else has been stealing in these parts, from what we know. But it never said anything about a second Pokemon being with him.'_ Clenching his paws tightly to the ground, Ewan tried to keep himself from trembling as the tension of their situation hit. They couldn't give the game away.

"Good, good," The first voice replied, much more formal in nature, almost like a salesman. "Lead the way."

"Of course," The second voice hissed back, the voices passing by the pair of Pokemon as quickly as they had come, fading into the distance.

Ozzy let out a rather concerned breath of air, allowing himself to slump to the cobbled floor with relief, looking up at Ewan with an expression of uncertainty.

"That was too close," Ewan breathed out.

"Yeah, for sure," Ozzy replied. "Should we follow them?"

Ewan had to admit, the idea had already come to the forefront of his mind before Ozzy had even suggested it. From what they could tell, the two voices were discussing some kind of transaction, and that meant that whatever stolen goods there were in the area could be taken away indefinitely if they didn't act now.

Did they have time to wait for Steel to come charging out of the dungeon? Or would they be too late to catch the outlaw and his compatriot?

"I don't think we have a choice," Ewan grimaced, taking a tentative step around the boulder, back onto the main cavern path, feeling the sunlight from the top of the basin as he did so. "This part of the basin's well hidden."

"I imagine it's one of the many nooks and crannies built into the cliffs," Ozzy explained. "Such a well-hidden location for a hideout. And I imagine that Diamond Onix was planted by them as well."

"Seriously?" Ewan gawked. "But aren't all dungeons randomized when you enter?"

Ozzy shook his head. "Some dungeons have a room at the end that remains the same regardless of the floors above. Creatures can inhabit those rooms as guardians." Ozzy pointed back to the cavern they had escaped from, where their mentor was still fighting. "That Onix was definitely a guardian, set up by that sneaky Seviper."

"Right, the Seviper!" Ewan exclaimed, already glancing down the path where they had heard the voices going. "We need to hurry! If we don't follow them, we could miss them entirely."

The pair glanced back towards the Diamond Cavern, hoping that their mentor would emerge to help them. But after a few moments, Ewan turned away to begin his way down the path ahead, mind made up, Ozzy close behind.

"Sorry Steel," Ozzy muttered under his breath as the pair began to break into a jog down the cavernous cliffside path.

Though the sunlight filtered through from the outside of the cavern, the part of the basin they found themselves in was covered in cliffside outcroppings, various caves dotting the walkways that they found themselves creeping along, to the point where any of the caves could potentially be a hideout for a thief.

It was as they came to a rather sharp turn in the path though that they began to hear the faint murmurings of voices once again, the pair slowing their walk to a crawl as they pinned themselves against the wall in case they were spotted.

"I'll check it out," Ozzy whispered.

The Treecko quietly inched his way across the face of the wall until he was at the corner, peeking around the bend ever so slightly before glancing back to give Ewan a nod. The Mudkip quickly crept up beside him, leaning around the corner from the ground, to see what Ozzy had spotted.

Ahead of them, the path ended abruptly at a small cavern entrance, the cave itself not very deep or dark. What drew their attention though was the number of boxes that lined the cavern walls. Crates filled with what Ewan could only assume were stolen goods from the Pokemon travelling this area.

And there, inspecting one of the larger wooden boxes, stood a dark snake-like Pokemon, which Ewan recognized as the Seviper, as well as a Pokemon he couldn't recognize. The unknown Pokemon had dark grey fur, three sharp claws on both paws and feet, as well as a light blue band that tied a rather red coat of hair in a ponytail.

"Woah," Ozzy whispered nervously. "I've never seen a Pokemon like that before."

"But that must be the Seviper next to it, right?" Ewan pointed out with a whisper.

"Definitely. I know a Seviper when I see one," Ozzy replied. "They were real common back home."

Without another word, the pair strained their ears, deciding to attempt to listen in on the two Pokemon's conversation, continuing to watch with eagle-eyed interest as the unknown Pokemon pulled out various items, including a pouch of gold, some rather sparkling gems and a few orbs from the opened crate they were looking into.

"This is all fine quality, my friend," The unknown Pokemon stated, appraising the loot with a keen eye.

"And there's more inside where that came from," The Seviper explained, sliding over to some more boxes further in the cavern.

"Good, my Lord will be pleased," The other Pokemon said, drumming his claws along the side of the wooden crate he was beside.

"Wouldn't want to disappoint  _him_ now would we," The Seviper replied back.

"Of course not, I dread to imagine returning empty-handed, you know," The unknown Pokemon replied once more. "Being a rogue is no easy business."

"No easier than being a thief, I'm sure," The Seviper quipped, the pair chuckling heartily at his comment.

"Still, I must say I was very impressed by your guardian," The red-haired Pokemon mused, once their chortling died down. "A Diamond Onix, very rare and very formidable. No ordinary Destiny Team should be able to get past it."

The Seviper, now with a crate in hand, slithered back over with a nod. "It's the best defence I've had in years."

The mysterious Pokemon let back his head, chuckling lightly, though the Seviper seemed confused by his reaction. "What's so funny?"

The Pokemon looked back at his companion, taking a few steps away from the cavern entrance while holding up a pale blue orb in his claws. "Nothing much," He replied. "It's just…" And then he stopped pacing, his eyes snapping down the path towards where Ewan and Ozzy were hiding, exactly where Ewan and Ozzy were hiding. "...It isn't much of a defence if it's been breached."

Ewan felt his blood run cold, sure that Ozzy was feeling something similar. They'd been spotted.

"We need to move!" Ozzy suddenly hissed, though it was too late.

The Pokemon's gaze locked with his own, Ewan unable to move backwards in time as the Pokemon's clear blue eyes glinted with an unreadable expression.

Suddenly, the Pokemon tossed the orb he was holding up into the air, the blue sphere lighting up brightly before shattering, a big burst of pure white energy flowing from where it had shattered, engulfing the entire cavern in a fierce whiteness as Ewan found himself blinded from the light, stumbling backwards, keeping a paw on Ozzy as they tried to retreat.

"Who do we have here, I wonder?" A voice right beside him whispered, Ewan feeling himself jolt backwards in surprise once the blinding effect cleared.

Looming over them, the Pokemon that had chucked the orb was standing, his eyes narrowed, a malicious grin plastered on his face, claws outstretched towards them.

"Get back!" Ozzy growled. "We're a Destiny Team and we'll fight if we have to!"

"Really? That is not what I'm looking at," The Pokemon nonchalantly replied, retracting his claws from grasping them. "All I see are a couple of children-"

"I'm an adult!" Ozzy snapped, eyes narrowing. "I may look young, but I'm not a child."

"Fine, fine, a young adult, if it pleases you. Either way, you're not a Destiny Team," The Pokemon spat, taking a single step closer, the pair of smaller Pokemon stepping backwards in response. "You can't even stand up to me. Let me guess, recruits? Adventurers? Figured you could stop my business partner on your own, claim the bounty?"

Said Seviper had finally slithered up towards the group at this point, its eyes bloated up in surprise. "Such weak looking Pokemon got past my Diamond Onix?"

"We're not weak!" Ewan shouted through gritted teeth, though the lack of conviction in his voice only left the mystery Pokemon with a grin on his face.

"Prove it!"

"Wha-"

Ewan barely had time to react as three sharpened red claws swiped underneath him, slamming into his jaw with a brutal uppercut. He felt himself stumble backwards into the wall behind him, vision swimming, eyes dazed, pain shooting through his body.

" _EWAN!?_ " Ozzy shouted in horror, the Treecko rushing to his side as their attacker resumed looming over them from behind.

"I'm fine," He coughed out, clenching his eyes shut in pain as he pushed himself up via his paws back into a standing position, albeit rather shakily. "That was nothing."

"Ewan, that didn't look like nothing," Ozzy worriedly stated, his eyes never leaving the red-haired Pokemon.

"I said I'm fine," Ewan replied, trying to hold his ground, moving his tail fin to the ground to try and balance himself.

Though the smirk on the Pokemon's face only served to make his blood boil. It was clear that they were being toyed with, that they didn't stand much of a chance in head to head combat against these foes, not without Steel. They'd have to keep running out the clock, pressing for time. But he didn't have time to think.

"Then perhaps I'll hit you harder this time," The other Pokemon muttered, Ewan's eyes widening as the figure of this dark furred Pokemon sliced towards him in an instant.

All according to Ewan's plan.

With his tail fin already on the floor, it only took a well-cultivated swish from the many battles within the Diamond Cavern to launch a glob of mud forwards, striking right at the mysterious Pokemon, who stopped in his tracks, yelping in surprise.

"Now!" He yelled to Ozzy.

"Got it!" The Treecko nodded, rushing forwards to slam his tail right across the creature's face with a devastating smack, sending the mysterious Pokemon backwards a few paces as he tried to clear out his eyes from Ewan's mud slap.

"My turn!" Ewan growled, launching forwards, head outstretched, ready to tackle this guy into next week.

Though the sudden wrap around his leg and the familiar hiss of the Pokemon they had forgotten about, caused Ewan to yelp in pain as he suddenly found himself being dragged downwards to the ground as the Seviper slithered towards him. "Gotcha."

"Ewan, hold on-" Though before Ozzy could even finish his words, the mysterious Pokemon was beside him in an instant, grabbing him by the left arm and pushing him down towards the ground, pinning the Treecko to the floor, Ozzy letting out a choked, " _Gah!_ "

"That was… a rather… rude trick to pull," The mysterious Pokemon breathed heavily, Ozzy yelping in pain as the creature began to squeeze his arm tightly. "You have really irritated me."

"O-Ozzy," Ewan choked out, starting to feel the Seviper beginning to constrict around him, attempting to choke out any air he had in his chest. Whether to leave him unconscious or worse, he wasn't sure, but damn if the crunching sensation hurt. And was it normal to see bright white spots on the edge of your vision?

Panic began to set in, his adrenaline kicking in as he began to thrash around, attempting desperately to get out of the Seviper's coils, trying to take in whatever air he could, but knowing that his meagre breaths were not enough.

"S-Stop, please!" Ozzy cried out, trying to wriggle out of his captor's grasp with a desperate fervour. "Please!"

"Be quiet," The angered Pokemon stated quietly, raising a clawed foot before bringing it down on Ozzy's back, the Treecko crying out in pain, contorting up in an arch from the sheer shock of it.

Ewan could feel nothing but anger for that Pokemon, whatever it was, at that moment. But he couldn't move, feeling himself beginning to black out.

" **Get away from my recruits!"**

"What the-?" The mysterious Pokemon sneered, glancing back down the cavern in surprise, to see a rather bruised, yet very angry Bisharp, storming towards them.

Releasing Ozzy's arm from his grasp to turn at the new opponent, he braced himself, stretching out his claws for the impact of Steel's sharpened blades, growling as his eyes narrowed, taking in the situation.

Dashing forwards towards them, Steel raised a sharpened hand, bringing it downwards in an arc towards the unknown Pokemon, though right before it connected, Steel launched himself into the air, vaulting over his opponent, slicing straight into the Seviper who was still constricting Ewan.

There was a rather terrible sounding slash of flesh as the Seviper screeched in pain, Ewan finding himself released from the coils as the snake recoiled in pain, the Mudkip falling to the floor, taking heavy breaths of fresh air, coughing wildly.

Spinning around, the unknown Pokemon readied his claws, only to choke out a gasp as he noticed the Treecko in front of him was staring him down with steely yellow eyes, a rather large seed already in his mouth before the Pokemon could react.

_Chomp._

Ozzy's mouth flashed open, the single chomp of the blast seed giving way to a sudden rush of flames, a controlled explosion erupting from his maw, the force of the explosion slamming straight into his opponent, the Pokemon letting out a crazed yelp before launching backwards, his ice blue eyes stained with anger as his paws skidded across the rocky ground, coming to a stop ten paces away.

"Who would have thought Steel himself would make an appearance," He spat, glaring at the trio that had dared to fight back.

The Bisharp in question, stepping past Ozzy, who was currently fanning his mouth after the blast seed, stated calmly, "Derren, the Zoroark. Last I heard, you were active in Katas."

"You know me?" The Zoroark replied with faux-surprise, his tone giving nothing away. "Well, no matter. If you're here, this mission is a failure. I know better than to start a fight with the legendary Steel."

Before anyone had a chance to reply to his words though, smoke erupted from the ground, Steel raising an arm to block the smoke from hitting his face, grimacing as he muttered, "Smokescreen."

The smoke engulfed the entire cliffside, Ozzy squinting through the gloom in an attempt to see what was going on, to no avail.

Moments later, the smoke began to clear, the sunlight piercing through the smoke to reveal the rocky cliffside they had been battling on, yet the Zoroark was nowhere to be seen.

"It seems he's a Zoroark of his word," Steel mused to himself. "He knows I can't catch him with those two here… Derren…"

"Ewan, are you alright?" Ozzy called out anxiously, Steel blinking out of his thoughts as he glanced over towards his recruits, noticing that Ozzy was rushing over to his Mudkip friend, oran berry in hand.

Said Mudkip looked up at him with a pained smile, his breathing finally beginning to even out as the Seviper behind them wretched on the ground where he had been slashed by Steel's blades. "Thanks," He muttered as Ozzy passed him the oran berry. "I thought I was-"

"We're both okay, it's fine," Ozzy stated quickly, cutting off Ewan before he could ponder on the fear of their situation moments before. It was better left unsaid.

"You're both able to walk, that's what matters right now," Steel chimed in, walking past them with swift purpose towards the Seviper, grasping it by the scruff of its neck. "Now then, I believe our work here is done. You, Sir, will be coming with us."

The Seviper was too out of it to reply, lolling its tongue out and letting Steel drape the Pokemon across his back. "You both are lucky I arrived when I did, a moment later and you both could have been seriously injured, or worse."

Ewan felt the stinging shame of disobeying Steel's orders at his words, remembering all too well that feeling of being constricted, that feeling of weightlessness that came with being so close to passing out. Their mentor was right.

"We know," He stated quietly.

"We had good reason to leave the exit of the dungeon though," Ozzy spoke up, looking to Ewan, then to Steel. "When we left the dungeon, they walked right by us and were talking about a transaction. We figured that if we didn't catch up to them then, we might miss the transaction while waiting for you."

"Even so, you disobeyed a direct order from your Guild Leader. Though as everything worked out, I am willing to let it slide just this once. You had no way of knowing about Derren or his skill in battle." Steel let out a sigh, stretching his arms slightly, the Seviper jostling on his back. "This mission has been hard on us all. That Diamond Onix, the appearance of Derren, at the very least we have captured the Seviper."

"Do we head back then?" Ozzy asked, gesturing back towards the way they had come.

"Indeed, though I'd suggest we search his hideout for any valuables or items first," Steel explained, pointing towards the cavern behind them with the many crates. "There is a lot to return to the Pokemon affected by this Seviper's thieving."

"Right," Ozzy nodded, walking over towards the hideout.

Ewan and Steel followed, the group surveying the rather dark dank cave, noticing that the number of crates stacked along the walls meant they definitely wouldn't be carrying this all out with them. "I'll inform the authorities," Steel mentioned to them, while they began to search through the crates for anything of worth.

Deciding to take the crates near the back of the cave, Ewan found himself with some of the dustier items, pushing through some poke and orbs, only to find a rather curious looking object at the bottom of the crate in the back.

"What on earth is this?" He thought aloud, pulling out the object.

It was a rather dusty gemstone, which he gently brushed with his paw to reveal a seaweed green hue. It seemed to shimmer and sparkle in his paw and radiated a weird energy. He could almost feel a thrum beneath his skin as he held it, not unlike the orb he had held earlier that morning.

But this felt different somehow.

"I found something," He called out, walking over to the other two, gem in hand. "I'm not sure what it is, but it feels weird."

"A gemstone?" Steel asked curiously, picking up the gen with his fingers to trace it himself. "I can't feel anything unusual with this gem myself. Are you certain?"

Taking it back, Ewan felt that familiar surge of energy he had experienced moments before, nodding to the Bisharp. "What about you Ozzy?" He asked, handing the gem to his friend curiously.

When Ozzy touched the gem, he too felt a sudden jolt of energy zapping through his body, his eyes widening in surprise. "I-I feel it too."

"You both felt an energy?" Steel asked, surprised. The Bisharp definitely seemed surprised by this development, reaching out to hold the gem again, though when Steel grasped it, he felt nothing but the polished edges of a rare gemstone. "Perhaps someone in Paradisal Town can appraise this gem," He suggested, handing it back to Ozzy, who decided to put the gem in his pouch for safe keeping.

"You think it's that important?" Ewan asked curiously.

The Bisharp nodded. "Ignoring the energy you both claim to feel, this gemstone is unknown to me. If we wish to return it to its true owner, assuming it was stolen, we'd need to discover what it is, first."

"Makes sense," Ozzy nodded, glancing over to Ewan with the beginnings of a smile. "Alright, when we get back to town, we should get the gem checked out!"

"Right," Ewan agreed, letting a smile loose on his face. "Is that our mission completed?"

"Indeed," Steel nodded. "Mission complete - Let us return to the Guild."

* * *

**Paradisal Guild**

It wasn't until late afternoon when the trio finally arrived back at the Guild, Ewan and Ozzy clearly exhausted from their mission that day, the pair feeling it in their bones. Ewan definitely wanted nothing more than to go and lie down, feeling his muscles aching from their battles, followed by that long hike back. And glancing over at his Treecko friend, he noticed Ozzy swaying ever so slightly from side to side, clearly also fatigued.

Steel strode ahead of them, the Seviper still lodged over his shoulders, having carried the outlaw all the way from the basin back to the Guild without help. It was amazing to see just how strong the leader was, especially given how rough that mission had apparently been for him based on his words in the basin. That Diamond Onix had to have taken a toll on the Bisharp, yet he had seemingly shrugged off his battle-weariness in favour of taking charge like he had to.

Ewan couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he'd be able to display the same amount of strength one day.

"You both should get some food, wash yourselves off, then get some rest," Steel explained, once they'd made it through the Guild's main gate, all of them coming to a stop in the sunny courtyard outside. "I will handle the mission report for today's venture. I need to inform the authorities about the Diamond Onix situation."

"You mean that Onix is still in that dungeon?" Ozzy asked, eyes widened. "But didn't you knock it out?"

"Indeed I did, but that Onix was still caught up in the dungeon's shifting once I had taken my leave. There is a very high chance it will remain in there for other teams to find. And I'd rather they have fair warning before encountering such a high-level foe."

"Makes sense," Ewan said.

"I also need to interrogate this Seviper," Steel added. "If he's been in contact with Derren the Zoroark, there may be something larger at work here." The Seviper, as if knowing he was being addressed, wriggled around in a daze, though his mouth had been bound by Steel, so he couldn't attempt to bite out, a clever move which the two smaller Pokemon definitely took into account for future reference.

Though before Steel could head inside to interrogate his prisoner, he glanced back at the pair of worn out recruits, a gleam in his eye and a rare smile on his face. "Suffice it to say, you passed today's test with flying colours. Ewan, your use of Mud Slap during the battle against Derren had perfect timing and, against a weaker foe, could have won you the battle. Your ability to learn moves with minimal training is also a feat to behold."

Ewan felt his eyes widen with glee from the praise, feeling a mixture of happiness and excitement that they had managed to pass their test with Steel.

"Ozzy," Steel stated, turning to the Treecko. "You clearly are the more experienced fighter. Your skill in battle is not to be underestimated and your use of the blast seed against Derren was spot on. Without it, we may have needed to work more for the upper hand. You are also the clear strategist of your pair in dungeon preparation and item management, though I think Ewan may have a knack for battle tactics."

Ozzy too, felt the feeling of praise washing over him, the Treecko clearly ecstatic that his first day on the job had been a success.

But then Steel folded his arms. "That being said, you both need a lot of work. Ewan, you need to focus on accessing your elemental abilities so that you can be a physical asset in battle. While you have a natural eye for planning in the heat of the moment, you lack the moves to actually utilize that potential. A water gun could have freed you from that Seviper's bind easily. You also need to keep your emotions in check. I saw the way you almost stayed in the dungeon when I went to fight the Diamond Onix, despite my order to leave. You were lucky Ozzy was willing to drag you out of the dungeon in time."

At this, Ewan felt himself wince. He wasn't especially proud of that moment. He knew that his emotions were getting in the way of his judgement, but seeing Steel staring down such a monumental foe, his first instinct was to run in there and help the Guild Leader out, even at the cost of his own safety.

He surprised himself if he was being honest. For a moment, his caution simply melted away and he felt almost like a different person. Was he self-sacrificing as a human, perhaps?

"Ozzy, you were easily pinned by Derren once Ewan was captured by the Seviper. In order to save a friend, that sort of hesitation needs to be snuffed out. You must learn to act without thought, especially in battle situations, where instincts should guide your paws and your attacks. Though compared to Ewan, your issues are much less severe."

"R-Right, I'll try and work on my instincts," Ozzy nodded, taking on the feedback, Ewan also giving Steel a nod of acknowledgement as well regarding his own critiques.

"Well then, I'll leave you to your evening. Tomorrow, I'd like for you both to get that gem of yours appraised. The sooner you identify it, the better. As shops in Paradisal don't open until ten in the morning, you can afford to sleep in as you won't be taking on a mission tomorrow. I suggest you savour a rare late rise."

Giving their Leader one last nod of acknowledgement, the trio split off from each other, Steel heading inside to set the Seviper down somewhere, while Ewan and Ozzy decided to collapse onto the grass in the courtyard, the Treecko letting out a rather deep sigh.

"What a day," He muttered, turning to Ewan with a look of pure relief on his face. "We really went through it, huh…"

"As far as first missions go, it was definitely memorable," Ewan said, giving his friend a small smile in return. "But even with the 'almost dying' part, I really enjoyed it."

"R-Really?" Ozzy stammered, his eyes shining with excitement at hearing his friend's words.

"Mhm, I think I'd like to continue training here. It feels right, somehow," Ewan explained, glancing up into the sky where he could see the orange of the late afternoon sky fading to evening ever so slowly. "I don't really know why I'm here, what my purpose is in this world. But exploring is exciting, and I want to learn!"

"Well, that's great!" Ozzy exclaimed from his spot in the grass. "We'll work on becoming a real first-class Destiny Team! And we'll help tons of Pokemon too! And if that'll help you out too, Ewan, then it's a worthwhile goal!"

The way Ozzy spoke, the passion behind his words, Ewan couldn't help but feel a small well of emotions bubbling up inside of him. He could feel the sincerity behind Ozzy's desire to do good and, in turn, he couldn't help but feel grateful that he got talked into recruiting here at the guild.

He'd had his doubts, but seeing their work pay off, he couldn't help but see the charm in this line of work.

"We'll do it together," Ewan added.

"Together, yeah!" Ozzy nodded.


	13. Mission Success!

**Chapter 13 - Mission Success!**

* * *

**Paradisal Guild**

Dinner that night was a rather tumultuous affair. And that was putting it lightly. Once Ewan and Ozzy had decided to head back into the Guild, their first instinct was to go straight for the mess hall, with Ozzy exclaiming, "I'm hungrier than a Snorlax, seriously."

"And I'm sleepier than a Snorlax," Ewan added, feeling his legs aching with a need to sleep. His body was done for the day, that was for sure.

"Food first, then sleep," Ozzy replied, marching forwards into the fairly crowded mess hall.

"Fine…" Ewan drawled, plodding after his friend, though his stomach was feeling a little empty. They hadn't eaten very much that day aside from some oran berries, so he really could go for a bit of food.

Denise was on duty, as usual, the kindly Kanghaskan looking the two young Pokemon over with an impressed eye. "I see you had quite the day with Steel then," She smiled, beginning to pile some berries onto some trays for Ozzy to carry.

"We caught an outlaw, actually," Ozzy replied with a tired smile.

"An outlaw? Really, I have to say I'm surprised. Steel tends to take new recruits on fetch requests or rescues," Denise mused, handing the two trays to Ozzy, who took them gratefully, Ewan's stomach growling quietly at the delightful aroma of the cooked fruits she had served.

"I guess we got lucky," Ewan said, glancing over at Ozzy with an arched brow.

Denise shrugged, looking over the pair of them with an approving smile. "Well, it looks like your mission went well. So you enjoy those meals and get some good rest, dearies!" With an exciting hobble, Denise turned away to serve the next Pokemon behind them, leaving the pair to their food.

Deciding to wait until they'd found a place to hunker in and chow down, the two Pokemon quickly searched for a free table, noticing that one of the tables near the back was deserted. With the target in their sights, Ozzy weaved through the Pokemon who were currently eating, Ewan following until they reached a good table to sit at.

"That was a bit weird," Ewan commented, once Ozzy put down their trays, the pair settling into their seats to eat. "What she said about Steel, I mean."

"Mhm," Ozzy nodded, having already stuffed a berry into his mouth, before replying with, "Aaah, 'at's su'er w'rd."

"I have no idea what you just said," Ewan deadpanned, chomping on an oran berry, swallowing it quickly, and then going, "Pretty sure in the human world we have this thing called manners."

Gulping down whatever berry he was chomping on, Ozzy let out a wide grin at his friend's mild irritation. "Well we're in the Pokemon World, right? Different world, different rules."

"That's not the point-" Ewan stammered.

" _Anyway,_ I said that it's super weird, about what she said about Steel," Ozzy interjected before going back to his food.

With a rather egregious roll of his eyes, Ewan took another few bites of berry, before muttering, "I wonder why he took us on an outlaw mission?"

"Who knows?" Ozzy replied with a shrug.

Falling into a companionable silence, they continued eating, Ewan mulling over the whole thing with Steel.

' _We're one of the only teams to go on an Outlaw mission with him for a training mission. Why? Is it because he sees potential in us? It was obviously a test…'_ His brows furrowed in thought, much to Ozzy's amusement, who watched his friend falling into a deep state of thought with much amusement.

"Your thinking face is pretty intense, Ewan," He off-handedly muttered, though the Mudkip didn't seem to hear him. "Yup... " He awkwardly muttered under his breath. "Intense…"

It was almost comedic watching the rather deep-in-thought Mudkip munching on berries as he was so invested in his own thoughts, so Ozzy couldn't help but just stare at his friend while eating, waiting for him to snap out of his stupor.

It wasn't until Ewan reached for another berry, only to realize he was actually out of food, that he blinked back into reality, the Treecko across the table perking up with an, "Are you back with us now?"

"S-Sorry, I guess I spaced out," Ewan stammered, feeling his spiky orange cheeks heating up from embarrassment. He definitely got too carried away with his thoughts. "Should we go?"

"Can we let the food settle a bit?" Ozzy asked, making no effort to get off of the bench he was sitting on.

Nodding to his friend, he felt himself relax into his seat, letting his mind wander away from the stressful thoughts of the day to think about what they'd achieved so far. In just two days, they had saved a Vivillon from a dungeon and helped take down an outlaw. That was crazy to think about.

Though he couldn't dwell on it for long as a familiar voice called out, "You two look exhausted."

Glancing over his shoulder, Ewan could see a small group of Pokemon making their way towards the duo. At the helm, their neighbours, Aura and Charlie, plus Twiggy from that morning was trotting along behind them, followed by a pure white looking fox, who seemed to stick close to Twiggy as they approached.

"Oh, hey Aura!" Ozzy greeted, giving the Riolu a cheerful wave. "Yeah, we're tuckered out!"

"Of course you are," Charlie said. "You went on a mission with 'ol Steel today, didn't you?"

"Yeah, we did," Ewan nodded, noticing that the four Pokemon were all beginning to take their seats next to the pair, like a clique was somehow forming. He couldn't help but feel like they had all come with the sole intention of finding out about their mission that day, bracing himself for the questions they no doubt would pose.

"So who did you have to rescue?" The nervous sounding Twiggy asked, the Turtwig looking to Ozzy with excited eyes as he chomped into his food.

"Yeah, what sort of dungeon did you have to face?" Charlie asked.

"Did you make fools of yourselves?" Aura asked.

The white fox was silent, though she was watching the exchange with eager interest. Although as Ewan glanced her way, meeting her eyes, she shrunk back to Twiggy's side, breaking eye contact instantly.

' _I wonder what the story is with that one.'_ He had a feeling he'd probably find out at some point, though he couldn't help but feel a little bit of kinship with the fox. He really didn't want to be the centre of attention either, though glancing over at his Partner who seemed perfectly content with the spotlight, it was clear they had different sentiments on the matter.

"Well actually, we took on an Outlaw Mission!" He exclaimed confidently.

The reactions of the four were about what they were expecting, to be honest. Twiggy gasped, Charlie paused mid-bite of an oran berry in surprise, Aura looked at Ozzy like he'd just personally insulted her and the white fox's eyes widened in shock.

"A-An Outlaw Mission?" Aura choked out, glancing to Charlie, meeting his also surprised gaze before turning back to Ozzy with a look of sheer confusion. "But he never took us on an Outlaw Mission on our first day!"

"We don't really get it ourselves," Ozzy explained, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, clearly loving the attention he was getting, though the outburst had gotten a few of the tables around them to look their way, even if the Treecko wasn't aware. "We went to the Diamond Cavern at the Bejeweled Basin and helped capture a Seviper who was stealing from travellers."

"You're not joking about this, are you?" Aura asked.

Shaking his head, Ozzy frowned. "We wouldn't have any reason to joke about that."

"Steel's lost it," Twiggy muttered. "It's the only explanation."

Charlie responded next. "An Outlaw on day one… You guys are something else then, seriously."

"W-We didn't realize it was such a big deal," Ewan muttered, bringing five pairs of eyes, plus the rest of the cafeteria who were clearly making no effort to hide their eavesdropping, onto him with a sudden force, Ewan beginning to realize in that moment just how small he seemed to be to everyone else.

He could feel nerves bubbling up inside of him all of a sudden, wanting nothing more than for everyone to look the other way again. He definitely felt too tired to go through this right now.

"And that's not even mentioning the Diamond Onix and the Zoroark we had to fight." Ozzy's voice pierced through the air, much to Ewan's surprise as suddenly the attention snapped straight back to the Treecko, who met Ewan's surprised stare with a knowing look and a quick wink.

' _D-Did he realize I was feeling uncomfortable and shift the attention back onto himself? Ozzy…'_ Ewan couldn't help but feel a real sense of gratitude towards his Partner at that moment. Sure, Ozzy was a bit boisterous and he had zero manners to speak of when it came to food, but he was anything if not compassionate and attentive when it came to their new friendship.

They had only known each other for three days, yet already Ozzy seemed to know how he was feeling better than he himself knew.

"A Diamond… Onix?" Charlie breathed out, his tail flame flickering excitedly. "Those exist?!"

"And you fought a Zoroark too?" Aura breathed out.

"Wow... " A shy female voice whispered, Ewan glancing over towards Twiggy, noticing that even the fox had come out of her shell at Ozzy's storytelling.

"You have to tell us everything!" Twiggy exclaimed.

Though while the four Pokemon that had joined them were crowding around his friend, Ewan couldn't help but feel like bowing out before Ozzy could start the story. He could feel the fatigue in his limbs and he wanted to get out of the Mess Hall as quickly as he could. He still could feel the eyes of the other patrons on his back, after all.

"Uh, I'm really tired Ozzy, so I think I'll just head up now."

All eyes once again turned to him, Ozzy giving him a nod. "No worries, I'll catch up with you in a little while."

Giving everyone a curt goodbye, Ewan quickly hopped away from the table, grabbing his empty food tray with his mouth, the only way he knew he could carry it, and headed off to leave it with the other empty trays by Denise.

Glancing back at the table where Ozzy was now beginning to recount their day's adventures with rather frantic hand gestures, he found himself glad to have a moment to himself and, with a short sigh of relief, he made his way from the Mess Hall.

He wasn't one for attention, he was definitely starting to realize that. Ozzy was clearly the better speaker of the two and he couldn't deny that Ozzy certainly had a convincing quality to his voice that made you want to keep listening. He much preferred getting the chance to think and with all those voices in that Mess Hall, his head just couldn't focus. Being alone for a little while gave him a chance to really think.

A lot had happened that day after all.

Heading through the main hall and up the stairs to the second floor, he found the guild rather empty. Everyone must either be at the Mess Hall or in one of the facilities, so he decided to try heading to the bathing room, if only to wash off some of the grime and dirt that he had collected on his journey that day.

The bathing pool was as it was when they went there that morning and just like then, he was alone, no other teams or Pokemon around.

"Geez," He muttered to himself, managing to untie his blue scarf from his leg, leaving it on the bank so it wouldn't get soaked. "Today sure was tiring…"

He wasn't sure why he was speaking aloud. Nobody was there to listen except himself, but people talked to themselves sometimes, didn't they? It was a perfectly normal thing to do when alone.

Plus, he'd done enough thinking. Sometimes vocalizing his thoughts made it easier to process them.

Hopping into the water and letting himself sink into a sitting position, he let the warmth of the river wash over him.

"This is nice…" He muttered.

It really was. Just letting himself sit by the bank, he allowed his body to float, taking a deep breath as he watched the cavern ceiling. "I still can't quite believe what's happened to me…" He muttered. "Turning into a Pokemon, meeting Ozzy, it's so surreal."

No way was his life as a human this action-packed or exciting. He couldn't remember anything but he could feel it in his bones - He never got to explore ancient dungeons or fight Pokemon as a human.

"I wonder why I'm here though…" He thought aloud, frowning at the ceiling as the water swept him towards the western side of the bathing pool. "...Humans don't just turn into Pokemon, after all. Ozzy pretty much confirmed that with his reaction that day we met…"

So what was his purpose? Was he in this world for a reason, or was he just unlucky? Did he ask to be turned into a Pokemon or was it forced upon him?

He just hoped his memory would eventually come back so he could figure out what he was doing here…

That was when he heard the soft footfalls on the stone coming into the bathing area, Ewan glancing over to see who it was.

"That you, Ewan?" He heard his Partner call out, breathing out a sigh of relief as Ozzy stepped into the torchlight.

The Treecko looked exhausted and his eyes were drooping, but the grass type quickly undid his scarf and hopped into the water, a relieved smile on his face. "I thought you'd be back at the room by now."

"I needed time to think," Ewan replied, surprised at how long he had to have been in the bathing pool for Ozzy to catch up to him. "The water's nice. Maybe because I'm a water type."

"Makes sense," Ozzy said, floating over to his friend. "I told everyone about the mission today. Pretty sure Aura's having a mental breakdown over it or something."

"She seemed agitated when I left," Ewan admitted, remembering the sheer look of confusion on the Riolu's face. "Thanks for that in the Mess Hall, by the way."

"Hmm?" Ozzy hummed, glancing over to his friend.

"When you got their attention off of me," Ewan specified with a small smile. "Really, I'm grateful. I didn't think I'd have been able to handle that with how tired I am."

"No problem, Ewan," Ozzy chirped. "I wouldn't be a good Partner if I didn't notice you were uncomfortable with all that attention. I can handle all the talking for both of us when you need it."

"Thanks," Ewan replied quietly.

The two fell into a companionable silence after that, Ewan continuing to let himself float on the water's surface while Ozzy scrubbed himself clean.

Eventually, though, the pair decided to call it a night and dry off by the enchanted torches on the wall, like they had done that morning, before heading back to their room. The guild was silent aside from some noise still coming from the Mess Hall, so the pair managed to make it to their shared room without much of an issue.

Ewan flopped straight into his nest bed the moment their door was shut, mumbling a relieved, "I missed you so much."

Ozzy audibly snorted with amusement while setting down his pouch on the side, before settling into his own bed with a rather loud yawn. "Man, I'm beat. I'm heading straight to sleep, g' night Ewan."

"G'night Ozzy," Ewan mumbled back, settling down to sleep, though moments before he closed his eyes, something flickered to the forefront of his memory.

Earlier that day, while travelling on the North Road, he'd planned on telling Ozzy about his dreams. But then Steel had interrupted them - How could he have forgotten that? Though glancing over at his friend, he was shocked to find Ozzy was practically out like a light.

"That was quick…" He muttered in bemused shock. "I guess I'll have to tell him in the morning then."

Shutting his eyes, he let himself drift off into the realm of sleep, wondering if perhaps tonight he would visit the world of dreams he had seen twice before.

He didn't dream that night.

* * *

Aura was confused.

Ever since that Treecko and his Mudkip friend showed up at the Guild, things had been different. It had only been two days and yet in that time they had been accepted as recruits and taken on an outlaw mission with the Guild Leader. And they had absolutely no idea how huge that mission that they had taken on was.

"It took at least a month before we got to take on an outlaw case," She hissed, as she stomped back towards their bedroom, Charlie walking along behind her. "Seriously, what was he thinking?"

"Well, Steel does work in mysterious ways," Charlie replied, shrugging his shoulders. "You should know better than me anyway, you've been here longer."

"Steel's never been that open with me," Aura stated back, opening the door to their room, walking right over to their desk which contained various papers littering the surface.

"No point in blaming Ewan or Ozzy for something they couldn't help though," Charlie said, already moving over to his bed, while Aura remained at the desk. "They're good people."

"I know that," She huffed back, pinching her nose in irritation. "That's the issue. I don't want to be mad at them, but it feels unfair that they practically skipped a whole stage of training to do an outlaw mission on their first day."

Charlie couldn't think of a response that would calm his friend down, so he settled for just going to bed. "I'm going to sleep. Wake me up in the morning."

"Fine," She sighed, looking back down at the papers on her desk.

Below was an assortment of information that pertained to the various missions they had undertaken across the past few months. Everything that they had worked towards was on this table.

Sorting through the papers, she began to sort all the different job requests out, giving herself a moment of peace to shuffle the papers until she felt comfortable with the results.

Only she wasn't comfortable at all. Looking to her left was a large stack of papers she had collected, all detailing the rescue missions such as the mission to save Marie the day before. And to her right, just three papers detailing the outlaw missions they had been cleared to go on.

It had taken them at least a month before they could take on their first outlaw, a rather devious Ralts who had been tricking travellers by pretending to be a helpless child, only to mug them of their poke. They had tracked down the outlaw and captured them after a struggle, but it felt like an earned victory.

By comparison, and based on Ozzy's story, the new recruits barely survived their encounter with their outlaw, with Ewan almost suffocating and Ozzy being beaten by the Zoroark. And yet Steel felt it wise to take them on an outlaw mission on their first day? She had seen many a Pokemon go off with Steel on their first mission - But this was a first.

Why? Why did they get special treatment?

Taking a deep breath, she shook the thoughts from her mind, deciding instead to sleep on it. She'd ask the Guild Leader next time she saw him if she could - She wasn't afraid of overstepping boundaries. After all, she'd known Steel much longer than anyone else in the Guild, much much longer.

Curling up in her nest, she settled down, allowing herself to fall into the realm of dreams, letting herself forget her duties for the moment.

**Author's Note:**

> This story has a dedicated cover art I had commissioned back in 2014. Here's a link if you're interested - https://imgur.com/7K8Uuyw


End file.
